When I die, will my family and friends say to one another, “She was such a godly person, except for _________”? I hope not! I want them to say, “She grew so much in _________ (that area). She never stopped growing.” I want to be like Paul, who said as he neared the end of…
O What Peace We Often Forfeit, O What Needless Pain We Bear
It was like swimming in a liquid jewel, I finally decided. When I swam in the pure, gem-toned waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands, it felt like a feast for the senses. The bays that sculpt the coastlines of those islands are glorious places to find yourself swimming -- something I never imagined doing while…
My Lifeline in the Sea of Trials
Eagerly, sometimes hungrily, first thing in the morning, I search for today’s entry on my calendar, my lifeline. The day my husband brought this calendar home from the office, I thought I'd use it "sometime." But soon things took a painful turn in the life of someone dear to us. As the days, months and…
Helping My Brother Through the Door
“Don’t you do what Ginny did,” my brother Terry said angrily. It was 1974. We were in Maryland at our parents’ home, talking about giving our hearts to Jesus, which our older sister Ginny had recently done. Terry was the big brother I had fought with growing up, but dearly loved. I was 19, and…
The Nearness of God 