“Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people.” Philemon 1:7 Jackie Kennedy Onassis was known for her beauty, poise and elegance and is considered a classic style icon, much like Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel. But what stands out most about Jackie is her renown for writing the perfect thank you note. Her correspondence was so effective that it notably inspired French President Charles DeGaulle, moved Pakistan’s President Ayub Khan, and comforted Kathleen Graham Continue Reading
November 8, 2013 By
Roots and Wings and Parenting Things
“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.” Hodding Carter, Jr. Like every parent I know, I’ve made my share of blunders. There are times I wonder if something I said or did in one of my many moments of impatience permanently warped my children, and that’s why I’m so often tempted to throw my hands up and plunge into “passive parenting” mode. Sometimes it seems they could do a lot better than to have me as a parent, and they could do a better job on their own! But then I realize that Continue Reading
October 25, 2013 By
Confident Resistance
“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry” Nehemiah 4:7 Imagine what my home would be like if I didn't have any doors, and if my yards didn't have any fences. Anyone who wanted to could just come in and open the refrigerator, sit on the sofa and run up my pay-per-view bill. Anyone who wanted to could come into my yard, pick all the plums and enjoy the Jacuzzi. And when I got home with my Continue Reading
May 29, 2013 By
A Deliberate Peace
I’m trapped in a house of testosterone. One husband, two sons, and not a scrap of femininity in sight. As the sole female in a man’s world, I’m just about able to cope with socks on the floor, toilet seats raised and the ape-like slamming of doors and drawers. But I draw the line at television viewing. At the end of the day, when I’m trying to unwind and prepare for sleep, I really don’t think Die Hard III or Crime Scene Investigation is going to speed me to my dreams. So when we’re choosing what to watch I insist, time and again, “I want to Continue Reading
November 20, 2012 By
The Woes of Joe’s Toes
I recently purchased a plaque in honor of my Joe’s and 25th wedding anniversary. It’s hanging in between the His and Hers mirrors in our master bath. It has a not-so-subtle message: “You and I are pretty unusual: I am pretty and you are unusual.” So, needless to say, I’m living up to the “Princess” label Joe has assigned to me. (I’m ok with that, by the way--I enjoy flouncing, and I love to make an entrance). But I’ve also given Joe the label of “Quirky”. Take the issue of our mutual toes. Every morning, Joe and I execute the same Continue Reading
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