~ “You are the light of the world- -like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14 NLT Jesus tells us- “we”- as His children- are to be LIGHT in this dark world. He is the perfect light & He lights our spirit so we may shine for Him. It’s […]
Keep your eyes on the finish line and RUN! s My husband, Jeff, has always been a runner. When he was 16, he had a heat stroke when he was running and almost died. His mom was told that they “couldn’t do anything more” for him, that he would be a “vegetable” (yes- the […]
Today was a “gray day” Not outside, the sun was shining, but inside our home & hearts, a storm was brewing. It was the kind of day, you’re glad you’ve been “storing up” lots of inspirational words & absorbing the the tangible love of family and friends; because, just like we should store up money […]
Jingle, Jangle, Ring-a-ding-ding! Ring-a-ding-dang! The Salvation Army Bell Ringer was merrily ringing with all his might. “Mommy, I need money! I need money!” Bethany bounced up and down as she chanted. Digging in my purse, I scrounged all the change I could find. Her excitement grew with each step. Plunk! Plunk! Plunkity plunk! “Mer-ry Christ-mas!” Bethany […]
Before “special needs” made its grand entrance into our lives, I walked in ignorant bliss, unaware of hidden treasure. “Special” Needs – the gift that no one asks for …… [Tweet “Sometimes the most #precious #gifts were never desired in the first place. #downsyndrome #treasure”] c When Bethany was born and the genetic testing came […]
[Tweet “Psalm 11:4 The LORD is in his #holy temple; He observes everyone on earth; His eyes examine them.”] I love teaching Bethany homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same but they’re spelled differently and have different meanings. They’re fun, but can make English difficult to learn! I’ve also come to the conclusion, there’s […]
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book Psalm 56:8 God knows I must have a ginormous bottle and I’m fairly certain you do too. Sometimes, my “life between the trees” journey feels like someone unexpectedly pushed me off a […]
Do you love me? We show our love in millions of miniscule ways; hugs, flowers, a card, a phone call, small gifts, expensive gifts, silly gifts, thoughtful gifts, the gift of time, touch, a smile, sharing, encouraging, cheering, and certainly we should daily say the three little words that have the power to rock someone’s […]
Cohen and I were running errands and completely enjoying the crisp, autumn makeover the Lord is bringing us! I pointed out a magnificent red maple that was almost completely decked in crimson. “Cohen, isn’t that tree beautiful?” Cohen answered seriously, “Well, Nana, it’s partway beautiful, but it’s also partway handsome.” Curiously, I […]
If you put on the right filtered glasses tomorrow night (31st), you could literally see a blue moon. Most of us will be content to gaze with our naked eye and see a typical, white, full moon. But no matter the color- tomorrow’s moon will be the 2nd full moon in this month- thereby gaining […]
My most challenging ongoing lesson: “Letting Go-d” Years of protecting, nurturing, & shielding her from the “looks”, “nonacceptance”, negative experiences, or situations where she would flounder, have left me with a bit of a “nest” mentality. I know the “nest” where we are safe- where we thrive- where Bethany is safeguarded and secure – where […]
Check list- What are you stockpiling? ~ “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and thieves. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want […]
[box] “God’s viewpoint is sometimes different from ours – so different that we could not even guess at it unless He had given us a Book which tells us such things….In the Bible I learn that God values us not for our strength or our brains but simply because He has made us.” ― Corrie […]
Some people struggle with pride and thinking too highly of themselves, (God has a way of taking care of that 🙂 ) e but others hear a different kind of voice…………. s “Loser” “Geek” “Emu” “Goth” “Weirdo” “Dummy” “Idiot” “Stupid” “Trash” “Reject” “Retard” “Disappointment” s (Some people should should have Ralphie’s mom around with […]
One of my favorite books of all time is by Hannah Hurnard’ entititled “Hinds Feet on High Places.” (this is truly a must read 🙂 )It’s an allegory I can relate to every time I read it. The story is a triumphant tale of a “crippled” girl called Much Afraid, who desires to follow the […]