For a brief period of time I lived above a boulangerie (bakery) in Paris. Each morning my roommates and I woke up to the sweet aroma of baking bread. With our mouths watering, we ran downstairs to buy our breakfast baguette. Bread plays an important role in the history of France. For years the French…
“I don’t understand why it has to be so hard.” Tears filled my coworker’s eyes as she poured out her heart. Recently she had faced difficult challenges in seemingly every aspect of life ~ financial, relational, and medical. All her life she had worked hard. Now she felt surrounded by people who seemed to get…
Wrinkling my nose at the foul odor, I pulled my sweater from the washing machine. Two days before I had set the wash cycle in motion, fully intending to come back and hang the sweater to dry. But life got busy and I forgot about it. Unless I wanted to live with the stink, I…
Tears filled my eyes as I listened to the young Ukrainian child singing “Let It Go” in her native language. With every note perfectly pitched, she finished the song to the praises of the people who shared her bunker. As I turned to my husband, I saw the same sorrow etched on his face. We…
Years ago a teacher advised me to “tie a string around my finger” to help me remember something. I don’t recall what I needed to remember back then. But I have since used different versions of “strings around my finger”: post-it notes, to-do lists, and special jewelry. Recently I’ve even joined the digital age and…
Words are powerful. I often repeated this mantra throughout my career as an elementary school teacher. In our classroom we learned how to use our words to communicate ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Through them we expressed needs and fostered friendships. When used well, words empowered my young students. God illustrates the powerful nature of words…
Cringing, I listened as my nephew rehashed the time I lost my cool at my father’s funeral. Although everyone laughed at the memory, I still regret how I jumped to conclusions and lost my temper with my brother. Conflicts with others deeply affect us. Just like a pianist who strikes a wrong note, or a…
I’m sorry, am I invisible? Although I didn’t give voice to my thoughts, I’m sure the incredulous look I sent the young man said it all. After cutting in front of me, he made his way to the cashier. Catching my eye, he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, leaving me fuming in his wake. His rudeness…
Pulling into the parking space, my red-rimmed eyes immediately latched onto the bumper sticker: Proverbs 3:4-5. Although I felt certain I knew it, I opened the Scripture on my Bible App: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him,…
