June has arrived – the first month of summer. Yes, I know that summer doesn’t officially arrive until the 20th, but with all that has been going on in our world, it is good to know that seasons are changing as they always do. When I sat down to write this morning, I had a story to tell. However, current events kept flooding my mind. They reminded me that we live in a broken culture, in a society that often…..
During my childhood years, the holiday known as “Easter” was often referred to as “Resurrection Sunday.” This is quite understandable, as the whole reason Christians celebrate it is the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Lately, there has been a lot of fuss on Facebook concerning a remark from a reporter. This person is supposed to have stated that this is the first year our nation will not be celebrating Easter. People have been indignant about this declaration…..
During the weeks of late spring and early summer, our theme song could have been, “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” The sun seemed to be in constant hiding, and we had way more precipitation than we needed. While all that was going on, I kept wondering how July and August would be, remembering other wet springs that were followed by long dry spells. Sure enough, our theme song changed from the one previously mentioned to “I Wish It Would Rain.” Last…..
In a few days, this month will have Marched on by. The first quarter of 2019 will be history. Didn’t the year just get started? Someone once explained that the reason time seems to speed up as we get older is because each year is a smaller fraction of our lives. In other words, when we are four years old, a year is one-fourth of the time we have existed. When we are fifty, a year is one-fiftieth of our…..
Have you ever known the meaning of a word when you hear it, but not recognized it in its written form? One that confused me for a lot of years was“compromise.” I read it as “compromise.” I knew what a compromise was,but didn’t associate it with the printed word. Or how about “chaos?” That’s another one that can really be confusing. I have heard it pronounced several different ways when people are reading aloud, “chows” and “chy-oes” being among them. Who would…..
What better month of the year to designate as National Apple Month than October! Business is brisk at the local orchards as lots of folks flock there to purchase their favorite apple varieties. I went to one fairly close to me last week to obtain some Jonagolds. Making things with apples has long been a tradition in the Ray household. I couldn’t even begin to number all the recipes I have tried. Most of them have turned out well, although…..
One of the greatest needs of motherhood is wisdom. I cannot even begin to say how many times during my child-rearing years that I prayed for just that. A recent conversation with my daughter-in-law, Heather, reminded me just how much wisdom it takes to understand each child. No two are alike, and they do not come with instruction manuals. Only experience lets a mother know, “This model is extra sensitive and needs careful handling.” Or maybe, “This version is quite…..
I am not really a morning person, nor am I a night owl. Depending on my schedule, I can be one or the other, but I don’t do well if I have to “burn the candle at both ends.” The older I get, the more I would rather get up early than stay up late. I manage to do more in the morning than I do at night. Just because I get up and start my morning routine doesn’t mean…..