A ten year old boy sat across the table from me. His teacher sent him to my door two or three times a week. Maybe she thought the school counselor could fix him. Or maybe she needed a break from his challenging behaviors in her classroom. I watched his hands reach for the smiley face … Continue reading How Many Michaels are Out There?
Cemetary Scavenger Hunt
Many years ago when I was younger and a lot more fun, I worked with young people - teenagers and college students. A favorite activity was an evening cemetary scavenger hunt. It's not as macabre as it sounds. I scouted out a church-owned graveyard and made a list of interesting markers. You can find some … Continue reading Cemetary Scavenger Hunt
Back to the Garden
“And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” (Woodstock by Joni Mitchell, recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) That’s what I need to do – get back to the garden and pull some weeds. The recent rain has refreshed everything, and the weeds are taking full advantage of it. It’s a wild … Continue reading Back to the Garden
All You Need is Chesed
This is one of my favorite Hebrew words. According to Strong’s Concordance, it is found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) 248 times. Its meaning is rooted in the very nature and character of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and it cannot be distilled into a one word translation. Lovingkindness, kindness, steadfast love, … Continue reading All You Need is Chesed
Lord, don’t let me be obnoxious.
I’ve met a lot of obnoxious people. Come on, I know you have too. No, it isn’t nice to label someone that way, but, admit it, there are folks who make you want to turn and go the other direction. Something about their attitude, behavior, speech, or the way they present themselves is just unbearable. … Continue reading Lord, don’t let me be obnoxious.
Don’t let the face fool you.
Once upon a time, we had a perfect dog. Well, she was pretty close to perfect. When she died, we grieved that loss for quite some time. Then a couple of years ago, we decided it was time to bring another furry companion into our home. Enter Shep. We got him from a breeder of … Continue reading Don’t let the face fool you.
The Transient Nature of Life
Almost nothing lasts forever. Wood rots. Metal rusts. Flowers fade. Fences fall. Buildings crumble. Pets die. So do people. Such is the nature of life in this world. We wish it were not so. I could whine about all the things around our house that have worn out and need to be replaced. Thirty years … Continue reading The Transient Nature of Life
Dottie Lovelady Rogers 