shame SHām/ Noun: A painful emotion caused by a strong sense of guilt, embarrassment, unworthiness, or disgrace. Last week while working in Brazil, Renaissance Man forwarded this letter to me. It was written by Philip Smith, one of the founders of Hope Unlimited for Children. He and my husband are partners in ministry ... constantly encouraging and learning from each other. Tonight during the service at the graduate church I saw one of our outstanding graduate girls, out on her own for almost two years now, quietly kneel at her seat during the prayer time. I wondered what serious issue she was grappling with. After the service, she approached Pastor and handed him a plastic zip-lock bag containing something ... Keep Reading...
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From Flowers to Feta: A Cheese Lover’s Table
If I were in Texas visiting family today, I'd fix a pretty little plate of cheese and olives and bread and sit out on the back patio where Spring flowers are already spilling over the brick wall ... and relax! Can you believe it was the flowers in a text I received from my Dad earlier this week that inspired this tablescape inspiration board? I'm telling you ... inspiration can come from anywhere! Thanks, Daddy! Renaissance Man doesn't like cheese, but the daughters and I (and Little Man) make up for his disdain! I'll quickly admit that my daughters are much closer to being "cheese connoisseurs" than I am, but they taught me a long time ago to branch out from a half moon of good ol' Longhorn and a can of grated ... Keep Reading...
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When Life Screeches to a Halt …
Contentment (or lack thereof) It's been discussed recently on several blogs ... and referenced in books I've been reading ... and talked about on the radio. It's come up in conversations with friends. It affects people of all ages. I don't think it has a middle ground; we're either content ... or we're not. Some say that to be content means to be satisfied or happy. While there are certainly aspects of both in my view of contentment, I like the definition that includes "ease of mind." That evokes a sense of inner peace, don't you think? As I've seen and heard the topic discussed, it's been in one of two contexts ... I'm learning that all the "stuff" I thought was important really isn't, and I'm ... Keep Reading...
