I am going to be 59 this week, and I have been faithfully submitted to the Lordship of Christ for more than 50 years. Have I always represented Him well? No. Has He always been faithful to His promises? Yes, indeed yes. What marks me is not my frail and sometimes faulty obedience. What marks me is His unfailing love. I am forgiven. I am redeemed. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….” (Romans 8:1a NKJV) Being forgiven and redeemed does not mean freedom from the dailiness of life on planet Earth. It does mean freedom in my soul from frustration and bitterness. Truly…

Scores of houses are being constructed in our neighborhood, and consequently, we’ve witnessed the clearing and grading of land that appears to be the necessary precursor to the laying of foundations and the raising of dwellings. This neighborhood is expansive and actually several decades old, and while development has heretofore happened slowly and in short bursts of growth, in the current housing market there has been a sudden increased demand for new homes. I must confess that it is painful to see the felling of so many ancient oak trees. Trees that have seen the turn of seasons year after year for a hundred years. Branches that have been the…

There is a considerable amount of pathos in the small sea of humanity that is a crowded mountain-side camp ground. The territorial boundaries of the individual campsites are loosely defined and easily crossed. The cry of a baby, the sound of a bean bag hitting the corn hole board, the laughter of children at play, and the occasional bark of a dog are the backdrop for a meditative hiker and a contemplative photographer. The ticking away of time here is of no real consequence, and the traveling Sun takes charge of the rhythm of eating, resting, conversation and late evening fire-gazing. The shared joy of a temporary change in life-style…

We had lunch today at my mom’s with my little brother and his family. His youngest is a boy almost a year old, and that little fellow might be the happiest baby I’ve ever known. He greets anyone who comes into his line of sight with delight and smiles with his whole body. He’s quite irresistible. As we were taking our farewell, my husband walked over to the play pen to give a final wave. My sister-in-law was standing by, and just as my husband made eye contact with the little man, she tossed a small plush toy into the pen which landed squarely on his nose. Needless to say,…

There is something special about dinner after church on Sundays. I know most people call dinner “lunch”, and supper “dinner”, but I grew up in the South, so the midday meal was always dinner. When I was a girl, we had Sunday Dinner at my Nanny’s house, along with all my aunts, uncles and cousins. Talk about feeding an army. Nanny was a cook who dearly loved putting on a spread. Most every week, come Sunday morning, she’d cut up a fryer (that’s a chicken) or two and soak the pieces in milk. She’d prepare the black eyed peas and lima beans, fortified with bacon fat. She’d peel, cut and…