Seeing Christmas Clearly

In elementary school, my teacher scraped the surface of a table onto a slide and placed the slide under the microscope. Bugs, creatures and debris invisible to my eye were exposed by the power of magnification. What had been invisible to me became visible through the...

Family characteristics

I was curious how a father from our church motivated his teenaged children to mow the lawn and do errands for an elderly neighbor. Asking how He encouraged his children to serve, he replied, "We are Johnsons – that is what Johnson’s do. It is just...

Laugh 2x/day and call me in the morning!

Laugh 2x/day and call me in the morning! I love to laugh. I don't do it enough because I take myself too seriously. Lighten up, Bob! The first chapter of the delightful book, Simple Health, by Biebel and Koenig is entitled "Laugh Yourself Healthy". We...

Childlike Gratitude

Where has my thankfulness for the simple gifts of life gone? Where is my childlike gratitude? As I have “matured”, a mindset of entitlement has emerged – diminishing my sense of appreciation. Am I capable of a childlike thankful heart anymore? When...

Not What is Next, but What is Now

"What is important is not what is next but what is now." My friend continued by saying that many times she thinks so far ahead and worries about what might happen in the future that she misses the joys and opportunities presented to her in the "here and...