Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
“Comfort” and “Joy,” words we often associate with Christmas. But can comfort and joy coexist with loss and grief? Yes, both comfort and joy are sustaining me in this season of my life. Following are among my sources of comfort and joy: Grandchildren My precious grandchildren provide so much comfort and joy during these days […]
My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip to Italy, Turkey, and Greece, following the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. The majority of our trip was a cruise, with numerous port stops along the way. Twice, we had a little card on our bed that said, “We are time traveling,” with instructions […]
Have you learned to appreciate simple gifts? The well-known Shaker song “Simple Gifts,” written in 1846 by Joseph Brackett, puts forth the ideal of simplicity, which was evident in the Shaker lifestyle. Shaker furniture styles are synonymous with high-quality, clean-lined, simple craftsmanship that is as popular today as it was decades ago. Deep within, we […]
Last week, our family gathered to celebrate the life of an amazing woman. Technically, she was my cousin-in-law, but I thought of her as blood kin because she was like us. Any time you were with her you felt special. Her laughter and smile were contagious. She was a great storyteller, but more than that, […]
This week I learned of the death of a childhood friend. We were the same age and first met in kindergarten. We both took piano lessons from my grandmother and shared stage nerves sitting behind the gold curtains at Case Brothers Music House. We whispered teenage secrets and confided young adult angst. I hosted a […]
In recent weeks, several people I had close friendships with 30-40 years ago contacted me for various reasons. It was good to hear from them and made me wish miles, busy lives and challenging situations hadn’t pulled us apart. In each case, we are in the process of making plans to get together and catch […]