{Listen here} A story is told of a hiker who was attacked by a mama grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park. Evidently, the hiker and his wife “surprised” the mother bear and her cubs. The bear did not realize, of course, that the hikers intended to do them no harm. The statement released by The National Park Service read, “In an attempt to defend a perceived threat to...
Fourth of July: the words alone create images in our minds of red, white, and blue; hot dogs and barbecues; fireworks and parades. We see the words “freedom” and “independence” on signs, home décor, and tee-shirts. Indeed, we are celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which stated that the thirteen colonies were now a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer a...
It has been said that the ancient Greek army would select the wildest horses, ones found in the mountains, in order to attempt to break them in and train them. These horses were determined, strong, and passionate. As you can imagine, the training process would span multiple months. By the end of the training, the horses would be separated into categories: some would be used for various...
Baseball cards and Lego sets. These are the typical answers I expect after asking my young son why he wants to go on the computer to the Amazon shopping website. Imagine my surprise when one day, after he asked to go on this website and I asked why, he replied, “I need some vitamins.” Excuse me? Vitamins? I told him, “Don’t worry about getting that on Amazon. ...
An old story has been told: “The devil once held a sale and offered all the tools of his trade to anyone who would pay their price. They were spread out on the table and each one labeled. Hatred, malice, envy, despair, sickness, sensuality - all the weapons that everyone knew so well. But off to one side lay a harmless looking wood-shaped instrument marked...
Waiting. Not giving up. Staying steadfast in hope. These are all easier said than done and easier to speak about than to live out. As I washed the dishes one afternoon, my youngest son burst into the kitchen from the backyard and shouted, “My flower bloomed! My flower bloomed!” What?! In the middle of October?! The flower that he planted months ago in the spring? The flower that didn’t grow when...
Happy Mother’s Day to every mother, grandmother, and spiritual mother. To every woman who shares her life with another, in whatever form it may take, you make a difference. This may be, of course, a very different kind of Mother’s Day for all who are unable to gather together with loved ones and celebrate “Mom.” It may be a very painful day for a number of reasons, and you who may be grieving...
“Why did you say that, Mommy?” my son asked after I exclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus!” I explained that his sister had almost fallen off the bench she was standing on, so I thanked Jesus for watching over her. A moment later my other daughter, who was also standing on the bench, lost her balance, fell, and began to cry. Without hesitation my son said, “Well, I guess Jesus wasn’t watching over HER!”...
One winter evening, I was running late (as usual) getting my girls to soccer practice. They were only going to be a couple minutes late, which was no problem, I rationalized. As I drove, my children and I enjoyed each other’s company with light hearted conversation and laughter. I was taking it all in, thanking the Lord for these joyful moments that He sprinkled throughout the day when I...
Excitedly and optimistically, my sister-in-law’s family agreed upon the perfect name for their new puppy: they would call her “Hope.” Imagine her surprise when she realized the frequency in which she needed to yell, “No Hope,” on any given day! We laughed at the irony. Yet I wonder if we utter those same words or perhaps believe that because of a certain situation, difficulty, or disappointment...