Is joy possible in the midst of a year of challenges, sorrow, and disappointments? This third week of Advent is often focused on the theme of joy. Churches lit a joyful pink candle among the other purple ones in their advent wreaths this past Sunday. We sing "Joy to the world, the Lord is come," … Continue reading Obtain Gladness and Joy
You know, what most folks usually show on their social media is the sanitized version of life. We show our best side, the cleaned up parts of the house, and the prettiest parts of the garden. What a chore! And how unrealistic, because life is messy. But frankly, I don't want to see your mess. … Continue reading Six On Sat. Not A Pretty Sight
Most Christians will let Hanukkah slip past their notice this week. This year, 2020, the holiday begins on the evening of the 10th of December and continues for the next eight days through Friday, December 18th. After all, what does a Jewish holiday have to say to us? A lot, actually. Gentiles should become familiar … Continue reading Lessons From Hanukkah
Long before Take Your Daughter to Work day was established in the 1990s, my father sometimes took me to work with him back in the 1960s. He was a salesman for Wilson Meat Packing Company, and his territory was in and around Montgomery, Alabama. Back in the day, salespeople had a personal relationship with their … Continue reading Words From My Father
On this gray day in late autumn, when the Thanksgiving leftovers aren't yet finished, and Christmas decorations are still in the attic, we are sort of in limbo. That's not a bad thing when a pause is needed. Catch your breath today. Do only what's absolutely necessary before the whirlwind activities for the next festivities … Continue reading Six On Saturday: Autumn Leaves
I don’t intend for this to be the obligatory Thanksgiving blog post. I’ll try to keep it short, but maybe not so sweet. This is hard to admit, but I’ve had an item on my To-Do list for months. It’s writing Thank You notes. I made a list of people to whom I need to … Continue reading Confessions of a Thank You Note Slacker
This month marks the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing in Massachusetts. I’m sure the Coronavirus curtailed the many celebrations that were planned for 2020. With all the overshadowing goings-on of this crazy year, I’ve seen very little acknowledgment of this critical foundational event in our nation’s history. You can read the details of these … Continue reading Pilgrims’ Landing 400th Anniversary
