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Category Archives: Awed by His Love and Grace
To My Brother Mario
To my dear brother Mario,
I just wanted to let you know that though we didn’t grow up together or have a chance to build brother-sister memories…
and you never made me cry…
or pull my hair…
or fought with me…
or drove me crazy…
or watched me succeed…
or saw me fail and laughed…
or scolded me… Continue reading
Are We So Different From the Children of Israel?
In Exodus, God has shown the children of Israel that not only He’s there with them, but that He is a Mighty God. Because of Pharaoh’s rebellion, He has steadily pummeled Egypt with unbelievably supernatural plagues. Here are a few: all water is turned into blood, their homes and land are obscenely overrun with frogs, locusts devour their crops, boils afflict them, and finally the death of their first born sons.
Throughout the ten supernatural plagues that ravage Egypt, the children of Israel go untouched. And though some of Pharaoh’s magicians duplicate the first few plagues, they cannot remove them or duplicate the rest.
If all of their water is turned to blood and the place is overrun by frogs, why on earth would the magicians cause more grief upon themselves by adding to the problem? Hmmm. Just curious. Continue reading
A Holy Land in America?
Someday I would like to visit Israel, the Holy Land of the Bible. Whether I will get to do that or not I don’t know but I was really amazed to find out that since 2007 there has been a Holy Land right in our very homeland, the United States of America. Of course, it is not the genuine Israel, but it comes in as the next best thing if one is unable to fly to the Middle East.
The good thing about this park is that there are no extensive airplane flights and airport nightmares or costs ( unless you have to fly to Florida), there are no time-zone adjustments (well, maybe a couple of hours depending on where in the U.S. you are coming from), and the atmosphere, weather and climate are much friendlier.
Where is this Holy Land? Continue reading
Reap From His Strength
We have a very mild winter so far in the northwest. It seems all our snow and frigid weather has moved east. We have hardly had any snow at all in the month of January and that is quite rare. Some of our days this month have been spring-like, with only a bearable chill.
The leader at the Bible study I went to today was talking about some trees she noticed that were beginning to bud.
“Oh, no!” she said. “Don’t do that.” She got to talking about how this was the time the roots needed to grow deeper into the soil.
I got to thinking about how winter is a time for trees, shrubs, and most plants to recuperate from the hard work of bearing and growing fruit in the summer and fall months. Continue reading
Unwelcome Doggy Surprise
Oliver (white) and his sister Sofi
Oliver has been one of the best dogs I have ever had. I knew immediately he was the right one when I saw him.
If only finding a human life companion was that uncomplicated.
It was a terrible time of my life then, and I was desperate for a buddy. I knew a puppy would help chase the blues away. I drove—one hour, one way— for the puppy I wanted at a semi-affordable price. I wanted a girl puppy, and planned on naming her Olivia.
When I got to the pet shop, there was a litter of five white, adorable, eight week old Peekapoos.
The only girl was too yappy. She yapped in her high-pitch bark anytime anyone got near the kennel, and would not shut up until they walked away. Continue reading
Trust God No-matter What
God loves you and has your best interest at heart.
Often, the world makes no sense at all,
that is why it is so important to trust God completely, especially then.
Believe it.
We don’t always see it at the time,
but as time passes and we look back, we can usually say,
“Oh yeah, now I see why that happened!
Thank you God for looking out for me!” Continue reading
Rejoicing in Jesus’ Birth
How Much Does God Love the World?
God So Loved The World That He Gave…
HIMSELF
in the body of a frail newborn named Jesus.
But…why would He do that?
He came in our form so that we could better relate to Him.
So that He could teach us about Himself.
So that He could show us what real love looks like. Continue reading
Does God Celebrate Christmas?
Well, seeing how Christmas is a mixture of pagan and Christian traditions, I don’t believe God has a Christmas tree decorated with lights and cherubs.
I don’t believe He adorns the halls of Heaven with twinkling lights and bows of greenery.
I don’t believe the heavenly host rush around their kitchens making millions of divine delights for their annual cookie exchange.
I don’t believe God has shopping requests, or naughty or nice lists. (Though He does say all the names of those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb have been written in His Book of Life)
I don’t believe December 25th is highlighted on God’s calendar.
God certainly is not a Santa, swooping down as earth sleeps, dropping gifts into chimneys. Continue reading
Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Christmas, Hope, Humor, Life and Relationships, The Miraculous
No Money for Christmas
It was just before Thanksgiving, mid-1980s, when my then-husband’s work went on strike. Thankfully, we already had our turkey and other food for Thanksgiving, but rumor had it the strike would last past Christmas, and possibly into the new year.
Of course, neither the utility companies, nor the mortgage company would put our billing on hold because of the strike. And as usual, we had no savings account.
Our holidays were going to be very strained. I was used to living on a meager, shoestring budget and usually prepared ahead of time with gifts, especially because my son’s birthday was November 30th and one of my daughter’s birthday was just eight days later.
I always did everything I could to make my kids’ birthdays and holidays a pleasant experience. I babysat, sold Avon, or Christmas Around the World gifts and toys, or had an educational toy party, or something similar to earn gifts for my kids. Continue reading
Filed under Awed by His Love and Grace, Christmas, Hope, The Miraculous
HIS EYE IS ON THIS SPARROW TOO Still Learning to Lean on God 
