simply me and jeans

Correction and discipline aren’t fun but they are necessary to become more like Jesus.  Feeling the stab of conviction while reading a passage of Scripture and recognizing how far I fall short of it may be painful for a moment, but it’s a beautiful sign of God’s love for us as His children. With that […]

I forgot that it was my Daddy’s birthday last week. It was the first birthday without him and I didn’t call my Mom to check on her.  In fact, I only remembered because I went to see her that evening and she mentioned a call from her best friend because of it. That’s pretty bad! […]

I’ve been married 30 years to an amazing man and, truthfully, it’s hard to believe. Our family was lucky enough to celebrate together by going on a short vacation for the first time since we’ve gained two sweet granddaughters.  Sand, waves, sun, babies, kids, endless food and hammocks were the stuff of memories. At least […]

Do you know how special you are to me, Sugar? You’re my treasure. My daughter. I love it when you walk in my footsteps. I’m absolutely blessed as you try to imitate me. I smile at your attempts… no matter how weak they may be. You’re so fun to be with and I’m so proud […]

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”  Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based […]

My daughter, Madison (Mattie), has a cat named Matty.  Believe it or not, he had that name when she adopted him from an animal shelter. At least their names were spelled differently. Matty is old and feeble. He’s had a stroke, sheds excessively, walks crooked, misses the litter box, can’t see well and has a […]

I love the sky. Sunsets in particular. Infinite paintings that reflect the various facets of infinite love. Endless combinations of color, clouds, wind, water, dust and sun that change each day but that always remain.  Constant and sure.  Everyday. the sky seems to close its curtains in a flamboyant manner as if to say, “Forget […]

It’s Christmas afternoon and I’m sitting on my bed wishing that my knee would allow me to go for a run. I’ve never been a fast runner, but that didn’t matter.  I ran alone. I processed. I thought. And, sometimes, I cried. Ever since I ran my first mile with daddy at the age of 6 it’s […]

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him (the shepherd), and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”  John 10:3 “Karen” So clearly in my mind that I open my eyes and wait to see if it comes again. Nothing. That one word […]

I can’t sleep. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve become accustomed to little sleep over the last 4 weeks or if it’s something else. I grab my headphones and turn on some worship music as I lie in the dark.  Surely I’ll fade into rest soon enough. But I don’t. There hasn’t been a […]