Better for the Telling

      Although the fog that had surrounded me in my grief had lifted, the pain and loss was still present. The holidays are a difficult time to navigate, especially the first one when your loved one is not there.

     I tried to focus on others, especially Sarah’s husband and children, offering my loss up for them in the hope of just maybe, easing their pain. 

Gifts from the Father

 “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.”                                          James 1:17  

    As I rode home from my retreat, an early birthday gift from my siblings, my heart felt free! There was a sense of reclaimed hopes and dreams, which I had abandoned for some time. I was curious to see just how things would be different.

My Blog and I

     “There is much emphasis on notoriety and fame in our society. Our newspapers and television keep giving us the message: What counts is to be known, praised, and admired, whether you are a writer, an actor, a musician, or a politician.    
     “Still, real greatness if often hidden, humble, simple, and unobtrusive. It is not easy to trust ourselves and our actions without public affirmation. We must have strong self-confidence combined with deep humility. Some of the greatest works of art and the most important works of peace were created by people who had no need for the limelight. They knew that what they were doing was their call, and they did it with great patience, perseverance and love.”  
                                                                                                        Henri Nouwen


     Today, April 21, 2017, Avia Joy is three years old! But before a word was written, or a story told, she was in the mind of God. She was His gift to me!

Singing in Sync

     “I waited, waited for the Lord, and He stooped toward me and heard my cry. And He put a new song into my mouth, a hymn to our God” (Psalm 40 vs. 2a, 4a).



     I had been feeling burdened and frustrated. I had carved out some time earlier in the day to write my blog post, but nothing came. I had reflected on some beautiful quotes, but came up empty. I decided to walk away from it and clean my upstairs.

Live the Song in Your Heart

     “A FRIEND is someone who knows the song in your heart

 and

 sings it back to you when you have forgotten how it goes.”

     We have all experienced times when life has beaten us down. When we don’t have the initiative to take the next step or even know what the next step is. The road ahead seems endless with no oasis in sight. We feel like we are a failure and don’t believe we are up for any task.