New stories added often

"Man! Have I got a story for you…" I have used that opening line countless times. The tale usually starts with me needing something I cannot provide or an interpersonal crisis that I cannot control. Issues of finances, health, and people have kept me on my knees. Jesus tells us to chase after Him and He will provide all we need. (Matthew 6:25-34) I'd like to tell you that I took hold of that truth and never looked back but that would be disingenuous. I have wrestled with God'

Joy and Sadness in the same place. Is that an emotional oxymoron?

I'm at camp. I have spent most of the summer here. I go home every few weeks to make sure things are in order and to check in with friends and family. But pretty soon, I come back to camp. Truth be told, I'd live here if I could. Surely it is my second home. I spend my time here much the same as I do at my home in Ohio. I always have a book to read, a story to write, a picture to paint, some project around the cottage, and of course thrift shopping. If forgetfulness was a s

I think there is a library full of words that rarely get used. When I am reading, I collect words that I do not know and try to learn them. I enjoy an author who can create ardor and enthusiasm with clever wordsmithing. So I aim to do the same someday. This is one of the reasons I rarely cuss - out loud anyway. It seems like vocabulary cheating to me. And, there just might be a part of me that is afraid that one of my parents will reach down from the heavenlies and slap me

I'm in the middle of a remodeling project of sorts. Like most of my projects, my vision is bigger than my budget and the timeline is playing out slower than I expected. However, in the midst of extension cords, rerouting utilities and sawdust, it is one of my usual tales full of God nods, and humor. Right now the kitchen is, let's say - unavailable. This makes for interesting meal times. In response, I have become a connoisseur of grab and go foods from local stores. I have

I'm an old church kid. I was raised on a wooden pew in Western Pennsylvania. My teachers were a well-intentioned collection of Christians spanning age and occupation, and the Bible was our text book. My education had a methodical form that left little to chance. The meter for success was compliance to the rules. It was here I learned about the Father, Son, and Hol- (interrupted by mumbling) I saw God the Father as an all-powerful, unapproachable, big brain behind everythin

How long is 21 days? 504 hours, 30,240 minutes, 3 weeks? I will tell you that 21 days is 13 years. Let me explain. In Daniel chapter 10 of the Bible is a story of Daniel praying for his people. They were a people who had ignored God and as a result were headed for war and hardship. Daniel prays for 21 days. Scripture says he was so grieved that he mourned and fasted. I know that desperation. I too have prayed for my people. I cried, I begged, I fasted, and I mourned. They wer

I have 33 blueberry bushes. They are the blue icing on the one acre green cake of land that God gave me ten years ago. I remember the moment they were discovered. Chain saw roaring, my friend Doretta had set to clearing a giant mess of shrubbery and overgrowth that had taken over the back of what was now my yard. Seconds later she stopped, shut off the chain saw, and yelled "Hey Lou, I think there are blueberry bushes in here." The rest is history. I've been tending to those

I am a doer. I get an idea and my brain can quickly run amuck with plans to make that idea a reality. If you are a type A person like me, you totally get this. If you are not, you are likely to want to tell me to shut up and slow down before my idea train runs you over. While I am naturally quick with an idea, I am not so naturally quick with the discipline to sit on my idea and work it out first. God has been transforming this personality trait for a long time. I'm half the

My dog, a loveable and very energetic Lab-Boxer mix pawed me smack in the eye. I can tell you that the resulting scratched cornea was no joke. The pain made me nauseous and the sensitivity to light made daily life almost impossible. I could not look at any electronic screen and I could not read. I try to read every day. My efforts are not perfect, but I desire the outcome of that discipline so I am determined. In addition to whatever book I am reading, I try to read my Bibl

It was early 2015. My 23 year marriage had ended, my career in Christian ministry was over, I was recovering from multiple knee and back surgeries, my young adult children were both in the ditch, and my house was being repossessed. That all sounds like a lot, and it was. I spent so much time just trying to endure the emotional pain of it all that many of my practical needs fell by the wayside. My memories of that time are wierd. Some are crystal clear and other are sketchy at

I'm writing a short story. It's a memoir of sorts. The narrative begins in May of last year when me and Jesus took a walk around the grounds of Mahaffey Camp. What transpired over the next six months became a tale worth telling so I committed to write it. The weight of the story has me laboring over each word. It's a work that I cannot do with distractions. I am close to the end but struggling to get it finished. So this week, I packed up and headed back to camp to finish the

She was in turmoil. She was bombarded with anxious thoughts and feelings and could not trust her own brain to sort them out. Reality had become subjective. The cocktail of angst and depression had her fighting one moment and crumpled on the floor in the next. It was the kind of mental disintegration that only a fellow sufferer could understand. She had called me because she…is my daughter. Worried for her safety, I went to her house. I watched as she screamed and I broke as s

March 11, 2023 My little cottage in the mountains was a major rehab project from day one - the type of thing I just love. Giving new life to something old and worn resonates with my soul. I say it's what Jesus did with me. One of the projects on my list was the back door that led from the kitchen to the back porch. It was a solid dark brown door - Yuck. Not only did the dark door keep the light out of the kitchen, it blocked the view to the back porch and beyond, namely the p

I am a woman of faith who struggles to have faith. I know that sounds ridiculous but if I'm being honest I must confess that while using one side of my mouth to tell you how much I trust the plan and timing of God, I will use the other side to voice my fears over whatever situation has me stressed. It's the truth I like the least about myself. If you know me, you've heard me tell story after story of God's provision. Not coincidences or friendly blessings but straight up mira

When I was younger me, I did a lot of drawing and painting. I like bright colors, red is my favorite and when someone would compliment my work I would say "I can use red but God created red". It was my way of accepting a compliment but giving God the credit. I eventually chose a career in graphic design and it's been a long time since I did any fine art. In my last house I had the color red everywhere. I left that house in 2015 when my family fell apart. In my new house, th

It was Sunday night. I went to bed early to avoid pain. But I struggle with sleep and this night was no exception. I had a lump in my throat and a pain in my chest. They had been there longer than a day, longer than a month, and longer than a year. My pain was physical and emotional and the latter was by far the worse. I wondered if I would ever be right again. That morning in church my pastor asked, "If you can't sleep because you are lying in bed stressing over something,