-
all of God’s grace in one tiny face
After I repeated the expression, you told me it brought you to tears. “All of God’s grace in one tiny face.” We’d talked on the phone for an hour that afternoon, me swatting bees on the deck of our rental house in Indiana, you back home in Illinois, in your comfortable recliner and looking at… Read more
-
the fragrance of life
I’ve kept the gift for over twenty-nine years and when I take off the top and inhale the scent, I’m right back in that significant time; the beginning years of marriage and living in our very own little home, expecting a baby. My sister-in-law, Jan, gave me the Elizabeth Arden body lotion for my birthday,… Read more
-
last drops
My husband was out of the country on a work trip and while caring for our two boys, I counted the seconds until his return. The first days of his absence had been rough, but this one started and ended, almost, uneventfully. I fed dinner to our then four-year-old, Brett; nursed our then six-week-old, Collin;… Read more
-
an audience of one
I’d take physical exhaustion over mental exhaustion any day of the week. And that’s what social media produced in me – a mental and emotional burnout. So I took the plunge and removed myself. It wasn’t the first time I’d left social media, but I believe it’ll be the last. I decided over a year… Read more
-
ties that bind
1 Corinthians 13 : 2 (NLT) “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” Our family of seven, a trio of grown “kids” and… Read more
-
marriage looks like this
Marriage looks like a desperately needed, intertwined nap on a lazy, rainy afternoon and later chopping vegetables, side by side, for a favorite Soup Sunday recipe. Marriage looks like pulling boxes of pictures and albums out of storage and getting teary together, saying “Remember when they were all so little?” Marriage looks like praying on… Read more
-
grace abounds
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.” It took us time to get this right. I wish I could go back to our early days of marriage, knowing… Read more
-
forces of love
We’ve been desensitized to reports of innocent people being shot. We hear a new story every night. It has become our status quo. But most anyone with a beating heart could express that it feels so far gone, we wonder if our course can be changed. There have been nearly fifty mass shootings within our… Read more
-
let mercy draw you near
In this Lenten season, we can be reminded – if we take the time and look – that God‘s goodness is everywhere. We can focus on the direness, or we can remember that Jesus came to defeat it all. He’s with us when we arise in the morning, He’s with us as we navigate our… Read more
-
power of life and death
Words matter. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” It’s worth reminding ourselves over and again: What we say can bring life or can bring death. If we desire for our world to be better, it’s up to each and every one of… Read more
-
be a light
“I can’t smell my coffee” was followed later in the day by, “This ketchup tastes awful!” No, please let it not be so! We’d been lucky enough to avoid COVID this whole year, so why now? Why just days before Christmas, when we’d been planning a beautiful gathering with our family and surprise visitors, our… Read more
-
the blink of an eye
It happened in the blink of an eye, the way these things usually do. We were babysitting Brett and Abby’s puppy, our grandpup, a rascally, endearing, sixty-pound Sheepdog/Poodle named Berkley. They’re in love with that guy (we are too) and had trouble leaving him for the dog-free overnight they were embarking on. I finally said,… Read more
-
not anymore, dear little one
Do you have one loved little one, like me, that’s always screaming for your attention, always interrupting things? Do you have one that no matter how hard you try and how calm you attempt to make your surroundings, will always squawk just as you’re sitting down to dinner or just as you’re about to get… Read more
-
humble and kind
“I love you, mom.” “Hmmm?” (A little louder) “I love you, mom.” “I love you too, honey, so very much.” I’d been deep in thought, listening to the song we were slowly dancing to. (The photo above is he with his new wife, September 14, 2019. Our mother/son dance was immediately prior.) I knew this… Read more
-
may his face shine upon you
Numbers 6 : 24 – 26 ESV The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Dear moms and dads, This blessing was first spoken from God to Moses. The… Read more
-
status quo or no?
Has this pandemic shook up your life or are you still flying high above the clouds? Do you ever feel that God’s trying to get your attention, or are you shutting your mind down to that possibility, the way you may have done in the past? Do you want to maintain the status quo of… Read more
-
find their way
Just turn on the power and everything is all set, she told me. You don’t need to change a thing – I have it on the correct setting and volume, she told me. If it’s not turned on, she said, he won’t sleep and will be distracted by the children playing outside. I was babysitting… Read more
-
joy unspeakable joy
She gave me a wry grin and shook her head. “Is that getting old?” I asked. “Yes,” she said, but her laughter told me she (sorta) liked my little comedy routine. Now that my daughter and husband (and most of us) are doing school and work at home, I say, “Drive safe!” and “See you… Read more
-
an ever-present help in times of trouble
My first overriding emotion was embarrassment. When I heard one say to the other, “It was a domestic dispute,” I felt the blood rush to my face. The emotion following immediately behind was anger. “No! You don’t understand. My dad has a brain tumor. He’d never hurt us or our mom!” The kind paramedics looked… Read more
-
let there be peace on earth
If I believed a defense of temporary insanity was a bunch of hogwash before that moment, I now knew differently. I truly did lose my mind. The roads were terribly icy, and snow was coming down. I was dismayed that they weren’t given a snow day, but was taking the twenty-five minute drive to my… Read more
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Debbie Prather | 742iloveyou 