Prayers Blog Posts
“Don’t Be Afraid,” Easier Said Than Done!
The Gospels are full of stories about Peter: impetuous, impatient, hyper- vigilant, passionate Peter. In Luke 5:1-11, Peter had already agreed to follow this guy named Jesus. He had already made that huge, monumental, life-altering, anti-establishment decision. Peter had even gone so far as to open his home to the community for healing and teaching. So, why was Peter so scared of Jesus in this story?
French Marigolds, Voted the Best Partner Plant
What’s a partner plant and why are French marigolds the best choice for any garden? Companion or Partner Planting is a tried and true old-timey technique of intentionally cultivating plants together symbiotically to help each other.
Language is ID
I am bilingual: English and Arabic. As a kid in Lebanon, I learned both languages simultaneously. By osmosis, I learned which language to use where and with whom. But in the loose boundaries of our hospitality driven home and family, both languages were used at the same time, even in the same sentences. For as all bilinguals from birth can attest, some things are just better expressed in one language or another!
Fresh Peach Schnapps Cake
Maybe baking cakes is part of my redemption journey, simply giving people the opportunity, ever so briefly, to allow their faces to light up and to live for just one more nice thing, like a piece of cake!
Stop and Smell the Roses
You know the expression, “stop and smell the roses?” I don’t tend roses anymore, except for the hardy stress-free climbers. Hybrid tea roses are too persnickety to feel at home in my wild and crazy chemical free garden. I’m waiting for botanists to create disease resistant roses that still retain their spicy sweet fragrance. Nevertheless, in the meantime, I have plenty of other flowers that show off just fine their mingled perfumes.
Finger Paint With Your Peeps
I’ve reached a milestone today. . . Yay, it’s launch day for my book, Tell the Truth About Adultery. I can’t say that this is a dream come true, because adultery is not anyone’s desired dream. However, finding a publisher who believed in the merit of my story and taking a gamble on that story having an audience, well now, that is a dream come true!
It Hurts
Chronic illness is exactly what it says; it is consistently vexing and continually troubling. I have lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder that gifts me every few months with a new twist on its ramifications. Lupus’ symptoms don’t vanish with treatment, but ebb and flow depending on how diligent I am with self-care and how mercurial the progressive disease decides to be.
Ice Cream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!
Back in April, after our first warmup, my youngest grandchild asked my husband, “Paw Paw, is it summer enough to make your ice cream? I think I can do it all by myself this year. You know I’m 9 now!”
Never Alone, No, Never Alone
An old gospel chorus is buzzing in my ears today reminding me that even when I do feel lonely, God’s assurances state otherwise. The chorus goes, “No, never alone, no never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.”
In the hope drenched dewy spring morning, when I’m confronted with the birds and bees exuberantly all-a-flutter doing their thing, I sometimes experience the opposite. I instead feel a sharp stab of being an outsider, alone with chronic pain, not belonging to the riotous activities surrounding me.
Perennials, Flowers Forever
Perennials are the roller coaster of the amusement park, the thrillers and architectural giants of the cottage style garden. They are plants that live for three years or longer. Most go dormant, returning better than before each season. Perennials operate like loyalty customer schemes where the longer they are planted, the more they reward you with spectacular profits year after year.