November 03, 2015
November is the month that we set aside to think about Thanksgiving. We remember from our history books the stories about the first Thanksgiving and how grateful the pilgrims were that God had brought them through the hardships to a new country and a new life.
October 27, 2015
I love my beautiful home state of Tennessee. I have always lived in West Tennessee, but I love driving across the state to visit the Smoky Mountains. There is a sense of majesty and awe that sweeps over me when I am there.
I was curious about how the Smoky Mountains got their name, so I did a little research. The Cherokee Indians call these mountains shaconage (shah-con-ah-jey) which means “the place of blue smoke.” Is the smoke really smoke? No. It seems that what looks like smoke is actually fog or blue mist that hovers over the valleys and peaks of the mountains.
October 20, 2015
This week I want to introduce you to my friend, Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress and let you know about a book she has written about how to bring the real meaning back to the holidays.
October 13, 2015
Have you ever seen a movie or TV show where two people are in a room with no way out except a high window or a vent in the ceiling? Many times in a scenario like this one of the people will turn to the other and say, “Give me a boost.”
October 06, 2015
When the topic of gifts and talents comes up, we usually start nervously shifting in our seat, feeling inadequate. We think that if we don’t have the ”biggie“ talents that first come to mind that we don’t have any at all. We spend more time focused on what we don’t have than what we do.
We long to have the gifts that are easily recognizable and come packaged with a big shiny bow on top. Often we forget that whatever the size of our talent we have it to bring glory to God and to help others. Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages with lots of tissue paper on top. Let’s see if we can uncover a gift or two.
September 29, 2015
The fuel light comes on in the car. The bars go down on the cell phone. A low-battery message appears on the computer. All of these things are signs that the power to provide service is running low. What are your warning signs? How do you know when you need to spiritually recharged?
September 22, 2015
I have heard it said that one of the times when we are most like God is when we are creative. The first couple of chapters of Genesis tells us how God created our world and mankind. I know we all have a basic knowledge of this story but please take the time to go back and read it again and be amazed at the Creator.
September 15, 2015
It is county fair time in my area. The smell of corndogs, the sweet taste of cotton candy, the lights, and the music of the rides. No one loves the fair more than kids.
A favorite game for small children is the pick a duck game. You walk up to the game counter, pay your money and watch the plastic ducks float by on the troth filled with water. When you see the duck that you think will win the biggest prize you pick it up, being sure to get your fingers wet. You hand the duck to the man behind the counter. He looks at the number on the bottom and gives you your prize.
September 08, 2015
In College, learning to write for the school newspaper, one of our assignments was to write our own obituary. The purpose was to teach us writing skills need for newspaper style of writing. I’ll admit there wasn’t too much philosophical thinking that went into it. But, if you think about the content instead of the style of writing, we all want to be remembered for something.
September 01, 2015
Often as parents we worry about the mistakes we made but today I want to celebrate one thing that I know I did right. I read to my daughter. I read to her before she was old enough to know what I was doing. We read books. We read magazines. We read road signs, cereal boxes and just about anything else that had words on it.
August 25, 2015
Have you ever attended a goldfish funeral? I have. Not only did I attend, but I also conducted the funeral for Sunny Potts, my six year old’s pet. Sunny was with us for a year and had outlived his swimming buddy by several months. When Sunny passed, of course, my daughter wanted a funeral.
August 18, 2015
Did you hit the snooze button this morning? There is something satisfying about those few extra moments of sleep, isn’t there? But, hitting the snooze button too many times could mean missed opportunities.
August 11, 2015
I have always been directionally challenged. In other words, I can get lost as a goose.
