The coronavirus has been called the 'invisible enemy.' But is it? I’ve seen enough illustrations of the virus that even I could identify it under a microscope. It’s not undetectable when viewed through the proper lens. And the same can be said of God. He’s always there, but we’re oblivious to His presence…..

We’ve all been exposed.
Not necessarily to the virus
(maybe…who even knows ).
We’ve all been exposed…..

Being in Florida during this pandemic is causing a lot of guilt as I observe the suffering of the world on TV. It’s not that Florida hasn’t been affected by the virus, just not with the severity as other areas – yet. Plus, we get the benefit of being able to get outside every day to enjoy the beauty of nature and the warmth of the sun while so many…..

My brothers came up with some heinous nicknames for me in my youth, some of which have stuck for a lifetime. How would you like to be known as Gastank or Load? And people wonder why I have body image issues. Recently, I acquired a new, more playful moniker. While listening to author/oncologist, Azra Raza, she described patients who defy medical predictions as…..

We’ve seen the results lack of preparation causes playing out across the globe during this crisis. Lots of finger-pointing going on, which helps no one. What it does highlight, however, is the importance of being equipped before a crisis hits – which, by the way, no one can accurately predict. That’s the nature…..

While purchasing ribs at the Farmer’s Market this week, the vendor lamented that someone stole his vat of hand sanitizer. People are more out of control than the corona virus – especially in Florida, home to the most susceptible. Fear-based thinking will almost always result in some very unwise decisions and even worse behavior. There’s a reason Do Not Be Afraid is the most frequent command…

Following last week’s discussion about determining one’s purpose in life, I received a timely devotion entitled, Your Pain Reveals God’s Purpose.* In it Rick Warren explains why I’ve always considered my trouble with tribbles…..

My brothers came up with some heinous nicknames for me in my youth, some of which have stuck for a lifetime. How would you like to be known as Gastank or Load? And people wonder why I have body image issues. Recently, I acquired a new, more playful moniker. While listening to author/oncologist, Azra Raza, she described patients who defy medical predictions as…..

Speaking about interesting cases, the doctors may have found it fascinating when I was diagnosed, but ‘interesting’ is not the adjective I’d choose in describing what ails me. It took me six years just to learn how to pronounce retroperitoneal liposarcoma. After 12 years…..

Over the past few months I’ve watched a friend of mine battle through the tangled morass that is our medical system - lots of waiting, lost records, indifferent medical staff, last minute rescheduling, overnight stays in questionable areas, authorization issues, failed procedures, ‘cures’ that made things much worse, being drugged for a test that never happened, conflicting diagnoses – the list goes on and on. She describes…..

Superbowl Sunday screams for a sports analogy because even if you’re not a sports fan, you can’t avoid the hype surrounding tonight’s game. You don’t have to like football to enjoy the food, the half-time show and even the commercials. I’ve no vested interest in the game this year, but there are worse…..

This week in Bible Study our leader was obligated to renew emergency protocols. In addition to the Stop, Drop and Roll instructions we’ve been hearing since nursery school, there are now contingency plans in the event of a shooter. What a sad reflection as to the state of our society. She concluded the page-long set of instructions, which I would never remember in the heat of the moment, by explaining…..

New Year’s resolutions aren’t my thing – probably due to a long history of failures. I’m not alone. Statistics indicate that most New Year’s resolutions dissolve by mid-February with a failure rate exceeding 80%. An alternate approach made popular by Ali Edwards* in 2006 is the One Little Word Project. On her website she …..

Last week my husband received a sweet gift of encouragement. I, on the other hand, was convicted by that very same gift. We were having dinner when the doorbell rang – an unusual occurrence as no one ever just ‘stops’ by. I opened the door to an unfamiliar couple. I suspected they were looking for…..

Story of my life: a day late and a dollar short. I got preoccupied with celebrations and missed last Sunday. Not only that, due to a glitch with Shutterfly, my Christmas cards were delivered to Florida so I will be traveling down to retrieve them in the morning. I suppose that’s as good excuse as any to spend a few days in the sun….

While visiting London last week, I had the pleasure of attending services at Holy Trinity at Brompton. Experiencing Christmas from a new perspective is always refreshing, and this service didn’t disappoint. HTB is a vibrant Christian community that eagerly welcomed me into the fold. I left with my first Christingle along…..

After attending an event at church recently, my friend and I stopped in the ladies’ room. While I was waiting, my friend called out, “I don’t want to alarm you, but your name is on the back of the stall door.” Visions of high school flooded my memory, which prompted my response, “Does it say to call me for a good time?” Not that that ever happened…..

Who can resist a trip to McCardles during Christmas? It’s magical – almost like stepping into a Christmas snow globe or a Hallmark movie set. Sadly, life is no hallmark movie. We don’t always get the happy ending this side of the grave. But that’s EXACTLY what makes Christmas so miraculous. It represents our happy ending…..

Words with Friends is my new obsession. I know, I’m late to the game. It’s been around for years. For the uninitiated, Words with Friends is a Scrabble application for your phone. The game has taught me a number of things – but above all humility. I definitely need to beef up my vocabulary. Even so, I question some…..

The Thanksgiving prayer I posted Friday reminded me of a conversation which transpired years ago during a pre-holiday Bible study luncheon. Someone posed the compulsory question at this time of year, "What are you thankful for?" I slumped in my chair thinking we were going to hear the predictable answers. Not to diminish their worth, but we all tend to be thankful for the same things - family, friends, health, etc. To my surprise…..