One of our local churches has a "Blue Christmas" service every year. I haven't yet been able to get to one, but I presume that it is for people who are sad during the holiday. I think that when people are feeling sad, more sadness will … Read more
Monday morning is my time to check my weight. Today, I was dreading it. I'd had a bad week. It wasn't good news. I've struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. It's in the family. My dad had a weight problem, as did his mother. … Read more
Do you practice an active faith? I try to, but I admit that I don't always succeed. Advent provides a good example. The other day, I was thinking about the idea of anticipation and how, during Advent, we look forward with anticipation … Read more
Every year, my mother would take all four of us kids to the toy store to pick out a present. If we were not naughty but nice, Santa would deliver it on Christmas Eve. We eagerly set out in different directions to look. On one such … Read more
Once a year before Christmas, I write a family newsletter, which I then send to friends and relatives. It depicts the major as well as some of the minor happenings of our life throughout the year. I always begin the letter with a … Read more
The formation of life is surely a miracle beyond comprehension. It begins with a speck so small that it is invisible to the naked eye. Yet it contains a vast treasury of DNA coding: the coding of destiny which determines what the tiny dot … Read more
Music is a wonderful gift from God. While we enjoy it all year long, I think that it is especially meaningful in December. This is probably because of the number of Christmas carols that we both hear and sing. While no one on earth can … Read more
It was just a few days before Christmas. "We need to go and buy a turkey," one said to the other. "I thought I saw a turkey in our freezer," said the other. Sure enough, deep down in the freezer, there was a turkey. And it had a date on … Read more
After years of childhood pain, I didn't love Christmas. I identified with the sentiments of Blue Christmas. I sat in darkness, spending time on a website called "Christmas Misery". I had plenty of memories of sorrow and loss to keep me … Read more
Early this year, my daughter, her husband, and baby granddaughter came to live with me. A business opportunity in town had presented itself, and they decided to buy it and move home. How wonderful is this! was my first thought. My … Read more