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Abiding
Our peach tree is dying. Earlier in the Spring I suspected it might be. The blossoms were lovely, but they were not profuse. As the season progressed, it made a valiant effort to produce fruit. A dying tree, however, cannot sustain fruit of any worth. While I am happy to remember its prosperous times, the loss is hard to bear, and we will most likely cut it down before the first frost. The poignancy of it has given me much to ponder. I am aware of two responses to this natural representation of spiritual truths. First, I find a cry within that I not become a dying tree. Lord, don’t…
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Masterpiece
The Strawberry Shortcake was a masterpiece. We had lunch with friends today at a local restaurant, and while we were reviewing the menu prior to ordering our food, I remarked that we should save room for the famous dessert. I had secretly been craving this particular deliciousness for a few weeks and wanted to make my pitch for acquiring it for our table. Everyone made encouraging remarks, and so I settled in with eager anticipation. The meal was enjoyable and the conversation both witty and riveting, as is often the case with good friends who love the Lord and love each other. And the anticipation of the coming dessert was,…
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Giving Honor
Today is Father’s Day. Today we honor the men to whom we have been given as offspring and on whom we have relied for provision, teaching, guidance and love. Whether your experience of fatherhood has been healthy or broken, or some strange mixture of both, this is a day to reflect upon God’s wise design of family and to remark upon that which is worthy of honor. Our family has recently discovered that my mother’s father was a hero who died with honor in the Battle of the Coral Sea, which was a significant battle at the onset of World War II. We always knew that his ship sank, and…
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Boundless
My heart is full, and I am present. This abundant life I live in Christ is the best representation of Him I can offer. His example of giving Himself without reservation in every moment is my guide and my standard. Of course, I don’t always live up to that standard, but my desire to be like Him deepens with the coming of time. When time flees from me, I am sorely limited. But when time rolls toward me, I find it easier to live in the boundless now. What is the difference? I’m not sure I understand the whole of this marvelous mystery. I think, in part, it has something…
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DIY
A well-completed DIY project is entirely satisfying. Yesterday, my husband and I made a trip to the hardware store for plywood, turned and unfinished furniture feet, paint and felt. We spent the afternoon sanding, sawing, glueing, turning screws, and painting. And, I just finished stroking on another coat of paint. Later, when the paint is dry, I will place felt on the bottom of the feet. My desktop shelf will be attractive and serviceable. Job well done. In our world of online helps, guides, and videos, the avid “do-it-yourselfer” has an almost unending supply of ideas for everything from repurposing toilet paper rolls to upgrading a concrete patio slab into…
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Redeemed
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…
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Firmly Planted
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…
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Every Good Gift
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…
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Building a Bridge
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,…
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Heritage
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…