Category Archives: Faith

Church at the Nursing Home

(This post first appeared on Parenting With a Smile in July, 2016.) Rollin and I went to church on a Thursday afternoon in Minnesota with his 93-year-old dad at his assisted living home. Folding chairs lined the activity room and … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Alzheimer's, Church, Faith, Faithfulness, Life Transitions, Ministry, Prayer | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Today I am Sad…But Not Without Hope

I am very sad. I know it will not always be so, but today, I am very sad. My mother died one month ago. I miss her. She lived with us the last 20 years of her life. I was … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Alzheimer's, Bible, Caregiving, Christian Living, Death and Dying, Faith, Family Life, Family Stories, Forgivness, Gifts, Grace, Grief, Hope, Jesus, Kindness, Legacy, Life, Life Transitions, Love, Mom, Parenting, Regrets, rest, Teaching, Trust in God's promises | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

When You Long to Escape

Some days I dream about escaping. I picture myself at the Hotel del Coronado (“the Del”) on the southern California coast for three days. By myself. The dream is most vivid seconds before I open the door for the first … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Alzheimer's, Being still before God, Bible, Caregiving, Christian Living, Confession, Dreams, facial, Faith, Family Life, Finding solutions, Frustrations, Gifts, Grace, Grief, Health and Beauty, Honor, Hope, Jesus, Kindness, Life Transitions, Love, massage, Mom, ocean, peace, Perserverance, Prayer, Remembering, rest, spa treatments, Trust in God's promises, When life seems too much | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Honoring People You Don’t Respect

You may wonder, Why would I want to honor someone I don’t respect? If I don’t respect them, do they really deserve my honor?  Chances are, you don’t want to honor that difficult person in your life. And no, they probably don’t deserve … Continue reading

Posted in Doing Life Together, Faith, Grace, Honor, Image of God, Kindness, Legacy, Life, Respect, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Prayerfully Paying Bills

It’s my turn to post today, so I thought I’d tell you about how I pay bills. I mean, it’s not earth-shaking or anything, but it may include one element some folks leave out. Whenever I sit down at my computer … Continue reading

Posted in Christian Living, Faith, Faithfulness, Finances, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Mother’s Legacy by Betty Mason Arthurs

Mother’s Day was celebrated this month. For those of us whose mothers have died, it’s a bittersweet day; a sad day missing our moms and a day to rejoice that we can be with our children and grandchildren. For me, … Continue reading

Posted in Babies, Celebrations, Doing Life Together, Faith, Grandparenting, Greatest love ever, Hope, hospitals, Legacy, Life, Love, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Some Things I Don’t Understand

(This article by Kitty Chappell was first published in The Sierra Star, Oakhurst, California on May 5, 1994 in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer) I have driven automobiles for over 40 years and I still don’t understand how their … Continue reading

Posted in Faith, Prayer, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Experiencing Grace

My mother speaks in scripts now. She bears the look of the very old. Clouded eyes and clouded mind. Alzheimer’s? The doctor said sometimes it’s impossible to know until an autopsy. I am my mother’s keeper. I see her daily … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Faith, Family Life, Grace, Kindness, Life Transitions, Mom, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

When We Think We Are Failures

I come to You this morning, Lord, as a failure—one who can’t get the job done. I’ve failed at the social media/blog stuff—I’ve failed at revealing you to others. My heart is broken. You take failures, don’t You, Lord? I’m … Continue reading

Posted in Being still before God, Confession, failure, Faith, peace, Prayer, Regrets, rest, Trust in God's promises, weakness, When life seems too much | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

When Your Child is Hurt by Someone’s Words…by Linda Carlblom

(This post first appeared on Parenting With a Smile, Jan. 28, 2015) I remember my children crying from time to time because another child said something either to them or about them that hurt their feelings. Maybe it was simple … Continue reading

Posted in Bullies, Christian Living, Doing Life Together, Faith, Family Life, Finding solutions, Forgivness, Parenting, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments