Glow up is my new term for the week. Spending time with teenagers this summer has given me a brief glimpse into pop culture. It also evoked a sigh of relief that I am well past the teenage years with my own children. Regardless, one of them inquired as to when my glow up occurred. For those of you as clueless as me, urban dictionary defines glow up as a mental, physical, and an emotional transformation for the better. Glow ups can be both natural or planned. As well as being gradual and permanent, or fast and temporary. In the strictest sense…..

Remember the Divine sussie I mentioned last week? Well, I got a surprise this week, but definiteluy not the kind which would qualify as a sussie – except that it reminded me that Christ’s gift of love and mercy never fails. Its value can’t be quantified or diminished – only appreciated upon redemption. You’re probably wondering what triggered this line of thought on an ordinary…..

Have you ever gotten a sussie? For the uninitiated, a sussie is an unexpected gift given for no real reason other than its relevance to the intended recipient. It’s a little awkward for me to receive one. Being more than a little cynical, my first thought is suspicion – that the giver is going to ask something of me because I didn’t do anything to deserve the gift. My reaction must be genetic because I presented my daughter with a mani-pedi gift certificate this week, and her first response was…..

Celebrating Independence Day this year was particularly poignant following the confinement we endured throughout the pandemic. Based on my travels over the last weekend, it was as if someone opened the cages at the zoo and the animals were running wild – in cars! Driving was insane. It didn’t help that I had a queen size bed tied…..

During a recent wedding, I met a delightful woman. She was my dinner partner, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her. Jill is a reader of this blog so we had lots to discuss. Shortly into the conversation, she confessed that when she was first introduced to the Choose Wisely website, she found the name a real turnoff. In fact, I think she said something like, “I have to be honest, I hated that name! It really bothered me.” And she said it more than once. You’d think…..

The term cancel culture is touted as a new social phenomenon, but the practice has been around forever. The Amish have a similar practice called shunning and use it as a form of punishment for members who violate the rules and beliefs of their community. I can’t speak for boys, but middle-school and high-school girls employ…..

In response to last week’s post, a number of readers wrote to share their own Holy Spirit moments. Not one of them involved tongues of fires coming to rest on them as is described by Luke in Acts 2. I can’t say I’ve experienced that unique phenomena either, but I will say that after having had a Holy Spirit encounter, Alicia Key’s song comes to mind…..

When I was taught about the Trinity, the Holy Spirit was referred to as the Holy Ghost. I slipped back into that terminology recently during pre-dinner prayers, and my grown children laughed out loud. It does seem comical now, but in my youth it was downright scary. Even if the Holy Spirit turned out to be like Casper the friendly ghost when He appeared, I still would…..

When my children were small, they didn’t like when I left home without them. Inevitably, when I told them my plans, the first reaction would be, “Me go too?” My negative response was always met with woe. As I left, I could often hear them calling tearfully, “Me go too! Me go too!” as the babysitter held them to the window to say goodbye. Though I’d assured them I’d be back…..

Much to my surprise, I received an email this week with the subject line, “YOU’RE IN!” It was an acceptance notice from a group called Honor Society. You can’t appreciate the humor and irony unless you’re aware of my less than stellar academic/athletic career. Who fails GYM? I’ve been married 30 years, and my husband’s still trying to pry out my SAT scores. As a blogger, most people think…..

Last Sunday in the early hours of morning, my phone began a cacophony of pings with Easter proclamations. Most of them were faith declarations of “He is Risen!” Others were simple yet profound “Hallelujahs!” Based on the number of “Amen!” messages I received and sent, the internet must have been flooded with Easter greetings as dawn arrived. The apostles didn’t have social media to spread the good news, but the old- fashioned, word-of-mouth method of…..

You are probably expecting a joyful Easter blog and it will come, BUT - not yet. The passion of Christ (and our part in it) deserves serious reflection before we race past Saturday searching for the proverbial golden egg. Did you ever wonder why Jesus didn’t rise Friday night or Saturday? Some would answer it was to fulfill Scripture. True, but God authored Scripture so the timing was always part of His redemption plan. The Old Testament is full of three-day stories. It’s a Divine pattern. Could it be…..

Last year on Good Friday my friend’s young adult son, Stewie*, was working from home with the afternoon free. Stewie and my son spent many a summer together providing lots of laughs with their antics, so I wasn’t too surprised by his recent…..

Do you remember my elderly friend, Hedda, I’ve written about? Her actual age is a mystery. When I first met her last February, she was 98. Now she’s 90. My guess is the truth lies somewhere in between. I don’t even think she knows for sure. Regardless, when I arrived for a recent visit I noticed a bandage on her forehead. Concerned, I asked if she fell and hit her head…..

Hooked on a Feeling is a favorite song from my youth. I played that 45 until it wore out. My kids would be horrified to learn that I actually had to sit by the record player and manually replay it. Of course, that was back when you had to get up to change the channel on the TV as well. Luckily, there were only a few channels so you could flip through the lineup quickly. The song was…..

My parents recently adopted a new pet – sort of. Christened “Teddy,” their new companion is a robotic puppy from Ageless Innovation. Created specifically for seniors and dementia patients, this robopet provides comfort and companionship for a largely isolated community – especially during COVID. It’s an emotional support dog that requires no maintenance. Teddy responds…..

Scarcity definitely brings out the worst in some people. That truth became abundantly clear over the past year as people hoarded paper products with a zeal that would make Scrooge look generous. Now that the vaccine is available, there is a frenzy going on that rivals the run on banks during the depression. In Florida, it’s a Hunger Games mentality as…..

This week I plan to celebrate Mardis Gras with my usual gusto. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. The term refers to the last chance to eat rich, fatty foods – and for some, the last opportunity to drink copious amounts of alcohol -- before the Lenten…..

As I write, I’m relishing a snowy Sunday. I’ve always loved the winter: long nights, cozy fires, snow angels, snow men, the peaceful silence after a snow fall, the blanket of calm offering respite from a chaotic world. Not everyone enjoys “wintering” in this sense. For many, “wintering” involves a…..

A friend sent me a box of pears for Christmas from a well-known vendor. To my surprise, the pears looked a little worse for wear. So much so that the company included a note of explanation for their condition. They called them ‘wind-scarred pears.’ The obvious blemishes (aka wind scars) are the result of high winds whipping tree branches and causing abrasions to the skin of our delicate pears. The winds that scarred those pears were the same ones…..