How often when someone asks, "How are you?" we instantly say, "I'm fine," when in fact we are not. Either we don't wish to talk about our problems, or we think, "Who really cares?" A while back, I sat for … Read more
I couldn't turn that light off — no matter how hard I tried. My hostess had turned on the guest room lights, and then slipped off to bed. I didn't want to wake her, and I didn't want to admit … Read more
One recent morning as I looked out my window, I was greeted by a tinge of pink sky in the east. Later, as my husband and I were having our quiet time, the sun came streaming through our window, and … Read more
I stood looking at the small, austere grave of Frances Ridley Havergal in the graveyard of the church of St. Peter, Astley, Worcestershire, England. I remembered that she not only wrote hymns and composed music, but also set herself the … Read more
I was up and out of the house reasonably early one morning, walking to a nearby plaza for a few items. As I retraced my steps, I met my wife — and my five-year-old granddaughter, whom I had not seen … Read more
Mary's face lights up when you ask her about her work. She teaches a kindergarten class of five-year-olds. Part of her enjoyment comes from being able to share new experiences with the children who are coming to school for the … Read more
My granddaughter and I love to put jigsaw puzzles together. We begin by placing all the pieces on the dining room table and spreading them so that every piece is in plain view. We have learned through experience to do … Read more
Horrors! When I hosted my first big dinner party as a new bride, the gravy formed into lumps the size of a horse's head. (All right — a slight exaggeration here!) I quickly set the colander into the sink and … Read more
In Maleras, Sweden, I stood behind the rope in a fenced-off area of a glassmaking factory to watch a skilled craftsman as he used tiny diamond drills and ultrasonic tools to refine the details in a piece of crystal he … Read more
Several weeks back, I was asked to write a few words for the "Prayer Circle" page in our upcoming newsletter, something for the closing of yet another church year, when many will be off to their cottages and on vacation. … Read more