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 […]
That time has come! That time when I realize that I do not want to spend the last years of my life dusting all the “stuff” I have accumulated over the years. That time when I realize I do not want to spend the last years of my life cleaning floors in rooms I no […]
Recently I posted about the “real” story of that first Christmas. How different it was from the beautiful Christmas cards we see where everything is so neat and tidy and there are beams of light coming from Jesus and sometimes even from Mary and Joseph. The “Real” Story of the First Christmas Today I wonder […]
Today is National Cherry Day. Cherries are a stone fruit from the genus Prunus, which includes plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds. Pits from the cherries have been found in Stone Age caves in Europe and were enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans. Immigrants from Europe introduced cherries to the USA in the 1600s and commercial […]
When I first started writing my blog I said that I wanted to share some of the funny things I saw and heard as a pastor’s wife. So – here are two more. In a deep sleep early one morning (about 2 AM) the phone rang in the parsonage. Since I was closer to the […]
Our country is experiencing a crisis most of us never thought possible. The panic that has caused stores to run out of toilet paper, hand sanitizers and eggs seems a little crazy. Yet the fear that we will not have enough – that we will get sick – and how will we pay the bills […]
My husband and I continue our Scrabble addiction (Confessions of a Scrabble Addict). We played 26 games in January and ended in a tie – 13 games each. For February we have played a game every day (it’s been bitter cold outside – so what can you do?) and we are still tied at 14 […]
November 4, 2002 – Call from doctor – biopsy shows I have cancer. November 14, 2002 – Surgeon tells me after surgery that the cancer was very advanced and I will definitely need chemo and radiation. November 27, 2002 – Doctor tells me the odds are not in my favor. He says chances are slim […]
One of my favorite Psalms is 139. Reading it today this portion stood out to me. One of my daughters has her own website where she sells the most beautiful hats, scarfs, sweaters that she creates. Along with selling her products, she also makes hats for cancer survivors, wraps for new mothers or mothers who […]
They were praising Jesus – but why? Because they saw Him coming to save them from the Roman occupation, to rescue them from a life of servitude to Rome. Their praises were for a conquering hero, not a dying savior. He turned out to not be what they expected – not what they wanted! I […]
