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Pebbles, Problems, Pearls, and Perseverance
What do pebbles, problems, pearls, and perseverance have in common? Okay, the p alliteration, but what else? I thought about this question as I hobbled along with a small rock in my tennis shoe. In case you’re wondering why I didn’t take off my shoe and get the pebble out, the seventy-nine pound lab at the end of the leash I held was not interested in stopping. My discomfort brought oysters and pearls to mind. I’d always believed pearls were formed from the irritation of a grain of sand, but according to research, parasites or other organic materials are the more likely culprits. Interestingly, like the pebble in my shoe…
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How to Stop Doing Things the Hard Way
Somewhere in my back yard is a tiny bug who needs to know how to stop doing things the hard way. This little green bug caught my attention one rainy day when he found his way inside our house and onto the kitchen faucet. When I moved in for a closer look, I realized he was a shield bug. (I helped both my kids with their elementary school insect projects, so I know things.) Because of his bright green color and tiny size, I classified him as cute and named him Sammy. But, cute or not, I refused to let him live in my kitchen. Not wanting to smush Sammy,…
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Faithfulness Matters
Faithfulness matters. A hidden message in my granddad’s desk reminded me of that truth . . . Passed down first to my mom, then to me, my granddad’s beautiful mahogany desk is a connection to my grandparents and to my childhood. I remember looking at the carved drawers and compartments when I was a little girl and asking my grandmother if I could open them all. But she said Granddad paid the bills at his desk, so I’d better not disturb things. Then she took me in the kitchen and gave me cake. Decades later, instead of paying bills here, I write. Once when I should have been working, I…
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Ribbons of Grace
Somewhere out there is a mama bird with a flair for decorating. Most of the nests I’ve picked up after storms look similar. Some might be smaller and more compact, others larger with a loose weave, but all are cozy little pine straw homes. One mama bird, however, added something extra to her nest. She decided the reddish-brown pine straw needed a little bling. So she wove a green ribbon throughout the straw. A little of the miraculous in the middle of the mundane. The nest reminds me that God weaves ribbons of grace through our lives every single day. He works miracles in the midst of our mundane. Golden…
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How to Have Confidence with Two Left Feet
I bought some new running socks a few weeks ago. Though I spent a little more money than usual, these socks provide extra cushion, moisture-wicking, and durability. They also come embroidered with R and L so there’s no question which foot they belong to. I like that. One less decision in the morning is a good thing. The problem with the R and L showed up on laundry day. I dumped the basket of clean clothes on the bed and began to sort socks. L, L, L … wait, what happened to R, R, R? I retraced my steps to see if I’d left the R’s in the washer or…
Faith for the Adventure
