All in Encouragement
In the little one stop-light town where we vacation during the summer there is a herd of deer that roam the yards, streets, even Main Street, and the parks much to the delight of everyone except some avid gardeners. As my little nephews excitedly exclaim, “Look there are mommy deer, daddy deer, and baby deer!” What a pleasure to watch them quietly move gracefully by you.
It is hardly news that traditional marriage is in trouble. And its main competition is not from all the inroads made by its exotic rivals--same-sex marriage, open marriage, polygamy—as we might fear. These days, traditional marriage might just be its own worst enemy.
It was obvious from far back in line that my five-year-old pig-tailed girl had not had a good day. As I waited for the teacher to put her in my car, I could see that she was deflated, alone and sad. By the time we pulled out of the school parking lot, she was sobbing. “I had to sit on the rock, Mama,” she cried.
I have seriously questioned the purpose of some things on earth.
Like termites. No one wants them. They will eat your house right down.
I was settled in a window seat on the plane looking forward to solitude while finishing my beach trip journal. A slender, pretty and radiant woman—probably in her early forties— became my seatmate. She wore a stylish outfit with fashionable slits in her designer ankle jeans complemented by great shoes. Her short blond hair was chicly highlighted. She explained how nervous she was to fly while she was ordering a glass of wine at 8:00 a.m. from the flight attendant.
Do you ever hear your friends speak about being “free in Christ,” and while you agree with a nod, you feel sick inside because you still carry a heavy burden of guilt?
A few months ago we sold our home. We wanted more time to discern what God’s plan was for our future, so we are living in our farmhouse. It is much smaller that our former home, about half the size. Many of our things are in storage because the farmhouse was already furnished. I am realizing just how many extra things I had in our larger home. We are living comfortably with a lot less stuff.
Red Rover was a team game often played on the courtyard of Travis school. Sometimes we included the boys. However, if they became too rough, we quickly ousted them.
Our Girl Scout troop had enjoyed sliding down the largest slide at our city park. At noon we left to eat our picnic lunch in another area.
I loved to swing as a child. Our teachers would take turns swinging us on the playground. When I learned to pump, I became an independent swinger. How invigorating to soar higher and higher.
The playground at Travis school in Greenville, Texas was divided: boys on one side of the courtyard, girls on the other. Fortunately, the girls had the playground equipment on their side. This week’s stories originated from this fun-filled place and our city park.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Okay, okay. I mumbled to myself, irritated at the car alert system.
Unintentionally, I had veered a smidgen to the right side of my lane, so I pulled the wheel back to center.
Last week I turned over my calendar to a new month. At the top of my March page was this quote:
Kind words are jewels that live in the heart and remain as blessed memories years after they have been spoken. M. Johnson
Mary and Martha is a favorite story of many, especially with those of us who have neither the energy nor the organizational ability to operate at Martha-level. And Jesus’ gentle rebuke seems to be encouragement to simplify our life and center it on Him.
It was a low point in Israel’s history. Ahab, the king was weak and Jezebel, his queen, was wicked, idolatrous and in charge. She busily imported priests of Baal from her home country while actively hunting down and eliminating all followers of Jehovah. It looked as if the true religion was on a pathway to extinction.
My aunt, my mother’s only sibling, was a remarkable woman. My mother was beautiful, but my aunt was smart and stylish. My mother married young and it looked as if my aunt would be a career woman when, in her mid-thirties, she met her future husband. After two years of marriage, they bought a little house. Soon after, opened their own real estate office. Because my uncle was a natural salesman and my aunt was a genius manager, their business was a success.
I play Solitaire and other card games on my phone to wind down. Some games turn out better for me than others. I can’t win them all, but I’d really like to! My competitive nature compels me to try to win. I discovered a nifty little undo button at the bottom of the screen I can use. If I make a move that doesn’t help me win, I simply undo that move and try a different one. I can undo as many moves as I would like. I can also reset the whole game if it’s going badly.
I heard whimpering from another room. I called my dog, “Buddy, come here!” But he only whined more. I put down what I was working on to check out the situation. I had forgotten to remove the leash from my dog after his morning walk. The leash was caught under a leg of the couch, tethering my little dog to it. Turning the corner, I was greeted by a wagging tail, a wiggling body, little yips, and expectant eyes. I was Buddy’s hope of freedom. I quickly unhooked the leash, setting him free.
I love seashells.
And I love all kinds. Even broken ones.
My husband? Not so much. He only wants to keep the perfect ones.
