The Color Green

Last year, when my oldest niece was three years old, I asked her parents if I could pick her up and bring her to Louisiana to visit friends and family. Once they agreed, I drove a few hours out of the way to pick her up. Oh, the things you do to spend time with the little loves in your life! We had about a 5-hour drive from her home to my aunt’s house in Louisiana. You know, children usually become restless, but she is a great traveler. I loved spending those hours with her, having special conversations together. One such conversation went something like this: Me:    What is your favorite color? AL:      What is your favorite color, Aunt Katelyn? Me:     You tell me yours first because you will copy me. AL:      No, I won’t. What is yours? Me:    No, you will copy me. What is your … Read more

The Top Shelf

If you ask me how tall I am, I will always answer, “I’m 5’2 ½.” I can guarantee you that I will not forget to add that ½ inch. Being short comes with its challenges. My sister-in-law likes to pick on me because along with my short stature, I also have short arms. (I call them T. Rex arms.) She is always willing to offer her assistance when I need to get something that is out of my reach. It is an ongoing joke between the two of us. I have a stool that I use at home when I need to reach something on the top shelf. Now, when I am away from home things can get tricky. Let’s take a walk down the grocery store aisle. The produce and meat departments are generally not a problem for me. Most of those items are lower than the average eye level; … Read more

Post Marathon Recovery

Have you recently experienced a situation that has left you feeling like you just completed a marathon? Do you feel like you need time to recover, but you are not sure where to begin? “Life happens.” This is a short phrase that we hear all of the time concerning situations that we are faced with head-on. Two years ago I was faced with a “post-marathon” experience. Within a 6 week period of time, I lost my mother – suddenly, my refrigerator/freezer quit working, my washing machine went kaput, and my dryer no longer produced heat to dry my laundry. Then, within a few more months my stove had to be replaced! That’s a lot in a short amount of time. Trying to deal with the death of a loved one while continuing on with life (working full time, housekeeping, being faithful to church, maintaining relationships) has been a challenge in … Read more

Thou Art with Me

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.   This chapter begins with a beautiful description of “green pastures” and “still waters.”  As a visual person, reading this makes me envision what these descriptions must have looked like. My … Read more