As I entered the hardware store last Monday, I passed a rather crude but accurate Easter reminder. I doubt it was intentional, but God can use anything to get His message of redemption across – even potty humor. My kids say I see God in everything, but even they might wonder how I could make a trip to the local hardware store a spiritual experience. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I immediately saw the correlation. Christ willingly enters into the cesspool of our lives and brings something beautiful out of it. He uses the manure of our troubles as rich....

How ironic that Easter falls on April Fool’s Day this year. When the women ran to the apostles to tell them Christ had risen, they didn’t believe them. I think more than a few of the men might have considered that news a really bad April Fool’s prank. Despite Jesus’ predictions, they couldn’t grasp what was unfolding before them, and we are no different. We can be just as foolish to doubt Christ’s power and authority to raise someone from the dead even though we see it happening in the lives of people every day – lost lives restored ...

Today marks the dawning of Holy Week, the start of Christ’s Passion, beginning with His glorious procession into Jerusalem. Personally, it’s also an acknowledgment of His triumphant entry into my heart. The thing about the Easter story is that until we make it personal, it remains just that – a story. It only becomes meaningful when we enter into it. So, who am I in the story? A woman singing praises while laying down her cloak in submission? A member of the crowd calling for His execution? Simon helping Christ carry the cross? One of the soldiers.....

While at mass with my parents last weekend, I realized that living in God’s Waiting Room DOES make you think about your impending ‘retirement.’ It’s impossible to avoid it. When we got to the part of the mass where prayers are offered for the recently deceased, I almost dozed off as the list was so long. And the list for the sick was even lengthier. Following the recitation of the names, my father, in one of his infamous ‘whispers’ exclaimed.....

My husband and I are in Florida exploring different options for retirement housing – a fascinating and sometimes frustrating exercise. I made an important discovery (and not for the first time). My husband and I are on different planets. There’s a good reason John Gray’s, Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus, spent years on the best seller list. Regardless, being in Florida, we’re surrounded by soon-to-be or recent retirees doing exactly the same thing. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people put the same amount of time and consideration into planning for their eternal retirement? You’d think living in a state.....

It is exactly because we don’t know when Jesus will return to redeem our broken world that He asks us to be His ‘boots on the ground.’ It’s true that before He left He promised to be with us always, but not in the way He was when He walked among us – which is why He calls us to be His agents of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That’s a tall order – one might be tempted...

When my children were young, whenever I went out I needed to answer a litany of questions to assure them that I would indeed be coming back: “Do you have to go? Can I come with you? Where are you going? Who are you going with?” And the most important, “WHEN WILL YOU BE BACK?” As they got older, those questions were not ones of assurance but a gaming strategy, to see exactly how long they had to sneak some forbidden fruit whether it be snacks.....

Hooked on a Feeling is a favorite song from my youth. I played that 45 until it wore out. My kids would be horrified to learn that I actually had to sit by the record player and manually replay it. Of course, that was back when you had to get up to change the channel on the TV as well. Luckily, there were only a few channels so you could flip through the lineup quickly. The song was what used to be called Bubblegum Pop – catchy tune, not so deep lyrics. As an adult.....

While watching the women’s march in NYC last month, the witticisms of the signs had me laughing out loud – initially. While I can’t deny their cleverness, their crassness offended me. What’s more, if a man used any of them, he would be accused of being a sexist. For example, while one sign claimed....

Struggling through a new exercise class Wednesday, I was happy to finish without having hurt anyone – including myself. While wine and wisdom may improve with age, endurance and coordination definitely do not. By the end of class I found myself dizzy, winded and apologizing to my neighbors. The familiar adage “marching to the beat of a different drum” took on new meaning as this was a Drumming Class. I must be tone deaf because.....

This month marked another milestone – the ten-year anniversary of my first surgery. One of the benefits of facing a life-threatening disease is that it changes your perception on many things. Aging is one of them. No longer is growing old something to dread but a privilege to be celebrated. Perhaps that’s why I have no trouble embracing becoming a sexagenarian. That title....

During our annual Christmas gathering, my family threw a surprise birthday party for me, complete with a life-size cutout in a sequined dress with wine in hand, along with handheld ‘Joanie faces’ people waved upon my arrival. You can’t imagine anything more horrifying than seeing a sea of your face when you enter a room. And that life-size cutout seemed to follow me wherever I sat. She now resides in my living room and continues to startle me every time I walk by. Another cutout is from a long-ago Halloween when I dressed up as a.....

This has been a week of resolutions – crowded gyms, increased attendance at Bible Study and plenty of leaf turning as people look toward a new year and a fresh start. Sadly, statistics show that most resolutions don’t last through the end of February. Personally, I think February is being generous, as I’ve never lasted to the end of January. Last year was....

At our annual women’s gathering this week, the speaker (Amy Julia Becker*) opened by posing the question “How do you know someone loves you?” Everyone in the audience would probably respond differently depending on their love language. According to Gary Chapman, there are five basic love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and.....

I read a story recently about a church that was built without electricity. When asked why, the pastor explained that each member is assigned a seat with a candle only they can light. When everyone is present, there’s no need for electricity because the church glows from the light of those candles. The pastor said it impressed upon the members the importance of their attendance to the entire congregation. If only a few people came....

The response I received from last week’s post illustrates that people are hungry for God stories – particularly about how He speaks. Therefore, I decided to share another. The reason I chose this one is because, as part of a prayer chain, I am privy to lots of prayer requests on behalf of children of all different ages. Children never age-out of.....

Friday was the one-year anniversary of my nephew’s death. You may think that it would be a sad milestone. I am sad that he’s no longer with us, but I was given an incredible gift last Christmas that takes the sting out of his absence. I’ve never shared this story publicly because I feared people would dismiss it, chalking the experience up to....

While I’m away doing field research for my next blog (family gatherings are rich with material), I thought I’d pass along an excellent reminder as you enjoy all those pumpkin delicacies this weekend and throughout the holiday season. Unlike...

While visiting my parents last weekend, we were discussing my dad’s compelling desire to go to confession on a regular basis. The prior week my sister had agreed to take him to church for confession despite questioning what he could possibly need to confess at 91. She doesn’t know what I know about what goes on at The Farm! Curious, I asked him why he was so insistent. He replied....

Analogies of marathon running and life have been drawn as far back as St. Paul, and with good reason. Life is a marathon – the only one most of us will ever run. As I watched the New York City marathon last weekend, I was reminded once again of the similarities. The runners came in all shapes and sizes with personalities of all kinds: serious...