grace

The Giver of Good Gifts

We put so much thought into Christmas presents, and they are such a source of stress. Will the recipient be happy? Should I include a gift receipt? Did I spend enough? Did I spend too much? Will our gifts even be remembered in years to come?

Some of our gifts may get packed away  or even regifted. But still we give, because (more…)

God Forbid – But God Permits

As a writer, I study people. I study the way they look and move and think and talk. (Yes, your quirk of pacing while you talk on the phone could show up in one of my characters.) And I only recently noticed a common behavior associated with the popular idiomatic expression “God forbid.”
I always hear that term when people broach the (more…)

But God

Lately my heart has been weighed down by stories of incredible pain – stories of unthinkable suffering among people throughout Africa, of a family losing three loved ones in rapid succession while dealing with life-threatening health challenges, of a newly adopted baby given little hope of quality of life or even longterm survival, of a mother and toddler both facing cancer. 

Each (more…)

To Serve or Be Served

I’m a very old-fashioned girl. My husband comes home from his primary job to turn around and commit his evenings to freelance work, so I try to do the whole June Cleaver thing: make myself look decent, have the house clean, have dinner ready to go on the table, and have his glass of tea poured when he walks in. I (more…)