This sign hangs in my library/office. And it is true. As a young girl I discovered books and my love for them has never faded. As a child, there was Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Through Charles Dickens I met memorable characters such as David Copperfield, Pip, Oliver Twist and of course, Tiny […]
In our devotions today my husband and I read about a king in Judah who began his reign following two very corrupt kings who had set up idols to pagan gods in the Temple and one had even sacrificed his son to Baal. This godly king, Josiah, began his reign by ordering the priests and […]
Thoughts of a Retired Pastor Luke 2:41-52 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not […]
After moving to Michigan in October we have tried to do some sightseeing. However, cold weather is limiting that right now. Last weekend we had a beautiful sunshiny day so we took off on another adventure. We had no definite destination – just heading east and seeing what the day brought. Our first stop was […]
What a week this has been! Sunday evening my husband was rushed into emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma. Because of the coronavirus I could not go to the hospital with him. At 3:30 that afternoon the surgeon’s assistant called me and told me they were doing emergency surgery and without the surgery my husband […]
Many schools, businesses and churches have a “lost and found” department. When something is there, it is sad. Sad because something valuable or meaningful is missing from someone’s life. Sad because articles of value lay unused on a shelf. Sad because perhaps someone does not even realize they have lost something. One possession I lost […]
Hard to believe that it has been less than 100 years since women were granted the right to vote. The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920, granting women the full rights of citizenship. What is ironic is that four years before women were granted the right to vote, a woman […]
Defensive mentality An old hymn of the church which I always disliked tells much about the mentality of the church in years past. “Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still; Wave the answer back to Heaven, “By Thy grace we will.” For many years the church has seemed to view the return […]
March 22 was a day I will never forget! My husband had fallen a few days before that, got a lump on his head. The lump went down after a couple of hours and he felt okay. Because of the coronavirus and all the conflicting reports we heard, he decided it did not require him […]
On May 5, 1961 Alan Shepard, Jr became the first American in space. Mercury-Redstone’s 15-minute flight was watched by some 45 million television viewers. I was one of those eagerly watching. Our junior high school classes suspended the day’s teaching and brought in television sets so we could watch this great moment in history. What […]
Throughout our ministry my husband and I have always conducted services at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Twice a month I now do a music recital at a nursing home. One of the most requested songs we get from the “old folks” is always the song “In the Garden.” It has also been one […]
I posted this a couple of years ago – but as we head into another election season and as the rhetoric again heats up as to our need to be a “Christian” nation, I thought I would share it again. Grandma’s Ramblings For many weeks this post has been on my mind. I have hesitated […]
What a year 2020 was! Coronavirus – and all the uncertainty and problems that has created. Loss of jobs/income, loss of ability to travel freely to name just a few. Division over wearing a mask or not wearing one. The election also brought such division and unrest. The arguments over BLM. We were looking forward […]
It was in January 39 years ago I walked into a church in Bethalto, Illinois, not knowing that I was about to meet my future husband. As Paul and I remember that special day, we still marvel at how God brought us together. So – once again, I share our story. “We as a community […]
