My great grandmother, Mary Jane, came to America from the southern shore of England when she was a young woman. Of all the little ways of English life she continued to cherish here in America, tea time was a favorite. Throughout her 80 years, she always made time in the ...

Patience, or long-suffering, is the fourth fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. There are, of course, many examples of patience, like waiting in lines, dealing with traffic, interacting with difficult people, or waiting for some situation to be resolved. Indeed, patience really plays out in our relationships. It ...

With summer winding down I always think about my own summer vacations so long ago. One of my happy memories were the days that I would take my mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook that she received as a wedding gift in 1963 and walk the block to my friend’s house. Michelle ...

 In the beginning, the earth was formless and empty, darkness. In the city Jungle, cement skyscrapers rise from the ground, No sunrise or sunset can be seen on the horizon. The sky overhead is shaped by the edge of buildings. My soul was trapped, couldn’t breathe, just like the cement.   Day 1: ...

The bible has a lot to say about our words. Most of it is sobering. If only we could remember what we read before we speak…We’ve all been guilty of saying something at the wrong time, or saying the wrong thing when something different was needed. This is part of ...

Every class has a clown, that guy or gal who makes all the kids laugh and gets in the most trouble with their teacher. In my seventh-grade class that person was Kenny, and he sure could make us laugh! He struggled in his classes and had been held back a ...

Most people likely think of peace as the absence of conflict. There are peace treaties among nations. There can be peaceful and serene environments free of noise. Another kind of peace can exist in relationships between people. Perhaps someone has been offended by something said or done and needs restoration. ...

My dad had many stories of the days in the early 1900’s when his mother was a girl living in a small Kentucky county, filled with hard-working farm families. When her parents had to be away from their farm, Miss Mary would come a tend to the brood of 13 ...

What comes to mind when you think of joy? Many would associate it with happiness. Although related, there are some differences between the two according to what the Bible says about joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual joy is necessary as a godly influence in the culture, ...

I have many stories of my old farmhouse and raising my children inside its walls. Living in an old home comes with charms. We have stained glass windows, a built-in buffet in our dining room, and old maple trees great for climbing in our yard. While updating old windows after ...