I Wonder As I Wander

I Wonder As I Wander is an American Christmas carol with words and melody by John Jacob Niles.  He based it on a few snatches of song he heard on July 16, 1933, in the small Appalachian town of Murphy, North Carolina: “A girl had stepped out to the edge of the little platform attached […]

Read More

Sharing Our Lives

During December I will be posting some of my thoughts on ministry drawn for the most part from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. God has poured out on His children the surpassing riches of His grace through the gift of His Son, Christ Jesus, and in our service to one another, He enables us to […]

Read More

Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming

Music is one of the most wonderful aspects of the Christmas season.  The songs of hope, joy and love span centuries and countries, and when we sing these words or listen to these carols, we join with other believers who in other times and in other places worshiped God with the same music.  This is […]

Read More

Gratitude

Giving thanks frequently receives short shrift when we talk about it, because we tend to discuss it either superficially when we are at ease in our circumstances, or else in denial of the pain of difficulties.  We give moralizing lectures about it or sometimes present the idea of giving thanks to God as a sort […]

Read More

Wisdom’s Children

In 1970 (incidentally, the year I became a Christian), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released the song, Teach Your Children.  The tune was memorable, and the lyrics were of war protest and lament.  My thoughts and values are certainly different, but Graham Nash’s chorus of teach your children well echoes the note of warning and […]

Read More

Dreams & Ashes

Several years ago when my daughter came home from college, her local voice teacher wanted her to sing with other students at a recital.  A voice lesson was squeezed in at the last minute, and because most of her music was still packed up, she grabbed the score of Les Misérables as we ran out […]

Read More

Sustaining Faith

There are many reasons why I respect and, yes, love the Apostle Paul. His words near the close of his final letter in the New Testament, 2 Timothy, reveal the stalwart character of the man who loved his fellow believers, and the man who loved the Lord Jesus.

Read More

A Stewardship of Grace

I still remember that summer evening in Georgia when, as a new Christian, I heard the Bible taught for the first time. I sat there stunned, as Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12 were explained. I had had no idea that Bible teaching could be so alive and feed my heart’s hunger for truth.  I […]

Read More

Blessings

I’m thankful for many things—my husband, my children and for various family and friends who are part of my life. I am grateful for strangers I have met who have encouraged me. Over the past three years my family has been through difficult times, as you may have guessed from some of my writings. We’ve […]

Read More