I looked at the African Violet plant that I was watering. The blooms on it are amazing! Yet, here...
Actor Dean Winters… You may not recognize his name but you most likely would recognize his face—he’s the “Mayhem”...
November is quickly coming to a close. Indian Summer has been in full glory with warm days, beautiful blue...
I always find it interesting to learn more about favorite traditional hymns. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is such a...
I was talking with a friend the other day, who had inadvertently hurt me. (Hurts are usually inadvertent: Who...
I’m sure you have had fun picking strawberries and blackberries. Maybe in your own strawberry patch or finding a...
For a whole year and a half, I have tried to attract birds to my garden. I put up...
“June is bustin’ out all over.” This is one of my favorite songs from the musical Oklahoma. The magnolia and...
I don’t know where it came from or how old it is; it has just “always been.”. “It” is...
February has a special connection to our hearts. There is Valentine’s Day and Heart Month. We share our love...
Every month, as I sit down to write my blog, I think, “This will be my last post. It’s...
2021 is going to be a year of great anticipation, new beginnings, hope, and promises. A time to look...
December is a month of anticipation. Taking time to light Advent candles brings quiet reflection. The word Advent means...
For many years (40? 50?) no holiday celebration in our family has been complete without the family favorite: Polish...
This 2020 Thanksgiving will certainly be different. The possibility of sharing a Thanksgiving meal with your family or friends...
This Autumn has been particularly beautiful. I have taken some lovely drives through the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding...
Amos 3:6- 8 Does the trumpet sound the alarm in the city without frightening the people? Does disaster...
I was recently watching a television series and one of the episodes was about the July 20, 1969 moon...
This has been an unusual summer. Covid-19 has kept us at home with family and many pets. I have...
May is a month to celebrate the wonders of Spring. M – many blessings for the spring rains and...
Dear Janine, If there is one benefit to this coronavirus isolation, it’s giving us the luxury of time. It’s...
Spring brings us signs of new beginnings, new hope. This Spring of 2020 has certainly been a time for...
In December 1982, a Mel Gibson film entitled “The Year of Living Dangerously “was released. We are only a...
In 2013, I had the opportunity to tour Ireland with the Knoxville Choral Society. During the trip, we sang...
The accompanying photo is from a correspondent, Pam Urquidi-Wilson, who sees angels in the clouds. On crutches, with...
February is the month to celebrate Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day. Valentine’s Day is time to...
Here we are in January. The new year. This time the new Decade. January is the month when we...
This picture reminds me of a song I use to teach to kindergarten children, You may remember it. Five...
Thanksgiving is not my favorite holiday. For one thing, it’s become so commercial, with its orange plastic turkeys and...
“Just be yourself. Everyone else is taken!” Oscar Wilde In this day and age where we all have to...
Autumn surprises us with glorious, amazing sunsets. God has given us the pleasure of seeing these beautiful sunsets with...
Genesis 8:22 (Revised Standard) While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and...
By Sophy Burnham ——–While working in the garden, I began to muse on how humans are the only animals...
God gives us time to reminisce and enjoy the simple things in life. He wants us to share our...
Summertime, and the living is easy. Our cultural memories are rich with summertime: the slap of a screen door...
There is a saying in the 12-step Alcoholic Anonymous program that “You will not regret the past, nor wish...
Psalm 100: 1-2 (King James) Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord...
Mark 14: 32 (NIV) They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here...
St. Patrick’s Day is a day of Irish glee! Parades, everything green is worn, time for drinking green beer,...
Psalm 150: 3-6 (NIV) Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,...
Not long ago a Canadian wrote me about a mysterious encounter he’d had with a homeless man, Helmut, who...
Winter comes with gloomy, cold, rainy, snowy days. A fireplace for centuries was used to provide heat and cook...
Music is a beloved part of the Christmas season. From the Messiah’s Hallelujah” chorus to Burl Ives singing “A...
This is the season for harkening to angel songs, believing—even joyfully—the warmth, comfort, healing and optimism offered by the...
It is Thanksgiving week, and I am late with offering my few words before the T-Day feast of gladness...
2 pkg. Frozen chopped spinach 1 large pkg. Cream cheese (8 oz.) 1 stick of margarine, divided in half...
Every October, with its falling leaves and brilliant colors, I’m reminded of my father’s death: October 30 the...
The gemstone for September is sapphire, who knows why? (For that matter who made up the order of any...
What does it mean to be a person of faith? Martin Luther, one of the movers and shakers in...
The last couple of weeks I have been struggling with remembering the Sovereignty of God. Thus speaks the...
As I reflect upon the earth, I think of all the amazing photographs from space. What spectacular sights the astronauts...
“O Supreme Spirit of Creation, from Your sacred breath came forth birds and beasts, fish and fowl, creatures of...
A More Personal Side to Estate Planning Estate planning is a topic that conjures thoughts of spacious estates, jewelry,...
“Celebrate God all day, every day.” Philippians 4:4 (The Message) July 4th is one of my very favorite holidays. ...
Veterans Leadership Ministry: Helping Veterans Re-establish Social Connections to Loved Ones Like many others I had a scar or...
A few months ago, high school senior Samantha made a huge, selfless decision: she decided to join the US...
In December, 2007, I traveled with the Knoxville Choral Society to Israel on a “Prepare the Way” concert tour. We...
There are several verses in the Bible that express peace for our daily lives. Matthew 5:9 – Blessed are...
I can think of no greater example in the Old Testament of gentleness and strength required by a mother...
Magdalen Walks By: Oscar Wilde The little white clouds are racing over the sky, And the fields are strewn...
These are super easy to make and the frosting is optional. Brownies: 1 (19.5-19.8 oz) brownie mix 1/2 cup...
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;...
He is not here; he has risen, justas he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go...
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with...
February is a month known for several things. It is Black History Month and a time to celebrate the...
Heaven's Valentine On this special day that's known for love, the greatest Valentine was sent from above. God sent...
This is a great recipe, the apples are good by themselves but work with pound cake, shortcake, over ice...
Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village, though; He will not see...
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace....
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not; for, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall...
Christmas Love Whenever we think of Christmas, thoughts turn to long ago. To a stable in Bethelem, and a...
O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. I Chronicles 16:34 (King...
November is a month best known for sharing thanks. It has always been a treasured practice of mine to...
We made this for our class buffett and all 200 cookies were gone before the event was over, they...
My favorite time of year – Fall! It always seems there is so much to do and not enough...
Fall is alive on the campus of the University of Alabama. The trees are flushed with vivid colors of...
Nothing reminds me of fall more than pecans and walnuts! Not only is my front yard covered in nuts...
My mother would always say, "Be ye kind." Wise words to live by. Psalms 117: O Praise the Lord,...
Did you know that comfort and encouragement are often used interchangeably in the Bible? Our homes are a...
I discovered years ago that when I paid attention to my dreams (both nighttime variety as well as goals),...
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength....
Look at what we can do with chocolate and sugar. The elephant is all chocolate while the pond scene...
I typically associate September with sunflowers--the two seem to go together like apple pie and ice cream. This is...
The power of the Holy Spirit is not ours to command. Nor does self-discipline with regard to my mind...
It is always wonderful to find people with love for others, and an ambition to love more. There have...
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's...
We are nearing the end of the month of August, which means most of us are lingering between letting...
Ingredients: 1 9-in premade tart shell 1 lb. Pastry Cream (recipe follows) 3 pints assorted fruit (berries, peaches, kiwis...
America, the Beautiful: by Katherine Lee Bates O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, For purple...
When it comes to patriotic table decor there is no shortage of ideas.The pictured centerpiece is super simple and...
Fireworks. They illuminate the night and mesmerize all who gather to watch their colors burst across the sky with...
These strawberries are a really easy way to have a patriotic dessert without having a lot of dessert! Its...
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear....
OR, from that Sea of Time, Spray, blown by the wind—a double winrow-drift of weeds and shells; (O little...
The Opal Report by Katie Turpen Taken from the Latin "Opalus" meaning "seeing jewel" the opal was said...
Ingredients: cream cheese 12 oz sweetened condensed milk 21 oz key lime juice 7.5 oz Lime Zest 3 tsp...
He's the Lilly of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, He's the fairest of ten thousand to my...
We arrive at the month of May. As the last school bells ring and the air thickens with humidity,...
There are few things that make me think of spring more than lemonade. This lemonade is really refreshing! The...
Celebrate the earth!Here isa picture of my former roommmates and I volunteering for an organization called Bayou Rebirth in...
Whenever I think about getting outside and hiking, I remember the hikes we would do in Girl Scouts and...
I am a "Nature Child" by my own personal definition of one of my "inner children." These show up...
Easter, Earth. and Eggs! Every year, the day before Easter, my mom hard-boils 3 dozen eggs. Then we as...
God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on the trees and in the flowers, clouds...
When Spring arrives, it is accompanied by limitless natural resources for setting a lovely table–flowers, grasses, tree branches, etc....
I've never had the opportunity to visit Ireland, but pictures and texts in magazines and travel brochures lead me...
For the Crust: 16 Mint N' Creme Oreo cookies, broken up 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled For...
May you always have… Walls for the winds A roof for the rain Tea beside the fire Laughter to...
Numbers 6: 24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and...
How do we “heal” faith? When there is emptiness in our hearts, it usually means that no “faith”( or...
Be BOLD and dramatic using black accents on your Valentine table. We started with a red tablecloth, then added...
This is our purpose: "Feeding"our hearts and homes for the benefit of the global faith community. Wellness. Wholeness. Focusing...
Chocolate Marlow: (Serves 8) Mousse: 2 cups mini marshmallows â…” cup milk 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 2 teaspoons...
1 John 4: 7 – Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that...
3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 4 eggs 1 1/2...
Here we find ourselves marking the last few days of February off our calendars. In a month characterized by...
10 Tips to "Lighten Up"! 1. Listen to music that makesmy heart "sing!" 2. Check the lighting in my...
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt (increase to 1...
I am a January Baby. There is something about January that invites me into Winter. Perhaps it is because...
As an employee of a gym during January, I am bearing witness to those initial efforts of tackling idealistic...
There are years that I have not had the time or evenfelt like sending out Christmas cards. So I...
Please Remember theseorganizations for Christmas Giving: The Humane Society The Red Cross The Salvation Army...
I keep a spiral notebook and pen beside my bed. That way when I wake up in the morning...
Michele Tracey, our Food Editor, is working on the story of a family piece of silver that was burned...
For as long as I can remember, we have made our own Advent wreath. We would put it together...
Traditions: familiar, meaningful rituals that help us remember the past while absorbing the present. They are instilled in us...
This stuffing is my mother’s specialty. It’s so good that my brother actually made the recipe while...
"Home is where the heart is…" which is to say that it might not be where we expect. Have...
I once went to a healing retreat to “hear God’s voice” and left disappointed with no sacred voices speaking...
"But true growth is something other than the uncontrolled drive for upward mobility in which making it to the...
I saw a stranger yestre’en Put food in the eating place Drink in the drinking...
Later that day, or that evening (after you have recorded your dream) go over in your mind and ask...
As each of us fight the current of upward mobility in the rough seas of today's society, it is...
No Bake Pinapple Pie Ingredients: ½ cup butter ¾ cup flour ½ cup flaked coconut 2 tablespoons brown sugar...
Pineapple contains micro-nutrients that experts believe protects against cancer and break up blood clots, those nutrients are also beneficial...
Life has a loveliness to sell, All beautiful and splended things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, ...
O God, whose beloved son Jesus took children into his arms and blessed them: Give us grace to entrust...
In order to learn from our dreams it is vital to "honor the dream" with the intent to remember...