Category: Gratitude

Advent 4: Stand Firm (2019)

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. How are you doing in the whirl and swirl of holiday preparations? Our tree is up, lit, and half-decorated. I was at work when Guy and Q15 got that much done; C21 still has his box of decorations to add, if he gets around to it. The mantle is decorated, but … Continue reading Advent 4: Stand Firm (2019)

Advent 2: Be Content (2019)

Get a modest place and be content there... Mark 6:10 Jesus invites us to be content, an invitation we struggle to receive. The focus of Advent is our longing for the Savior, but instead we make it about longing for the perfect gifts. Santa may be making a list and checking it twice, but we … Continue reading Advent 2: Be Content (2019)

What Thumper’s Father Said

In the classic Disney movie, Bambi, Thumper comments on Bambi’s clumsy first steps, “He doesn’t walk very good, does he?” Thumper’s mother jumps in: “Thumper, what did your father tell you?” A chastened Thumper—and a chastened me, when my mom reminded me of this scene throughout my childhood—quotes: If you can’t say something nice, don’t … Continue reading What Thumper’s Father Said

NYC, There’s Something About Ya’

The Best Weekend! I told my family that, for my BIG birthday, I wanted to wake up with my loves in a place we’d never adventured together before. We discussed the pros and cons of various locations and landed on: New York City. How does a nature-loving, bookish homebody—easily overwhelmed and edgy in crowded cities … Continue reading NYC, There’s Something About Ya’

Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

It’s my birthday month, and I’m celebrating a milestone: a half-century of my life. Years ago, I roller skated to Kool and the Gang’s song, Celebrate: There's a party goin' on right here A celebration to last throughout the years So bring your good times, and your laughter too We gonna celebrate your party with … Continue reading Celebrate Good Times, Come On!

It’s Today!

Last week I wrote that the world’s not ending yet, although in anticipation of a scheduled power outage people doomsday prepped as if it might. The power went off just before 11 pm, almost eleven hours after originally scheduled. And within two hours, a fire broke out in open space about a mile as the … Continue reading It’s Today!

Life Well Lived

How do I measure my life? I saw a documentary a few weeks ago at the California Independent Film Festival called Lives Well Lived. The filmmaker, Sky Bergman, was inspired by her 99-year-old grandmother lifting weights at the gym. As she shot some video footage, she spontaneously asked Grandma to share words of wisdom; later, … Continue reading Life Well Lived

Give Good Gifts

My nephew came to visit and brought me a gift from my sister. She thought I needed some encouragement, so she put together the best care package ever. Gifts are her love language, not mine. Time and good company are really all I need to feel loved. But this gift…! She packed a small box … Continue reading Give Good Gifts

Smell the Roses

It’s rose season! I take a lot, and I mean a lot, of pictures of flowers. Roses especially, but any beautiful flower that captures my attention. Taking pictures—just on my iPhone, nothing too fancy—is for me a joy-filled discipline of noticing. I stop. I lean in. I frame the subject. I go for a better … Continue reading Smell the Roses