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...

Whatever progress I thought I made on VIP Day evaporated quickly by my mentioning my daughter’s teenage years in last week’s post. Note to self: blogging about your children = embarrassing mom. As long as I’ve been demoted to my former role, I might as well share our text exchange Sunday morning (with her permission this time)...

Last week was VIP day at my daughter’s place of employment, and I was invited. The staff is so youthful, there isn’t enough offspring to warrant a take-your-child-to-work day, so they initiated VIP day as an alternative. I was flattered and astonished by my daughter’s invitation because she turned to the proverbial ‘dark side’ earlier than most tweens. I resigned myself long ago...

Choosing joy is easy while celebrating - like during my trip to Texas I discussed last week. However, choosing joy has to be more deliberate when life, and people, seem intent on stealing it. There’s nothing more destructive to joyful living than being surrounded by toxic people. You know the type – those who find....

As homework for a course I’m taking on spiritual disciplines, we were asked to pick one discipline (our text lists 75!) to focus on for the week. These exercises are designed to address ‘signature sins.’ It didn’t take me long to identify mine, and if I asked my family I’m sure they’d be happy to point out a few more. The first one I chose to concentrate on was Control of the Tongue, but...

What I failed to mention last week while discussing the gift of the ministry of presence is how close I came to missing it. The issue is, in order to be blessed by it, one has to be open to receiving it. I’m not sure when or where I adopted the misconception that being weak or needy is a negative. Regardless, debunking that fallacy.....

A woman emailed me this week seeking advice regarding what to bring or say during an upcoming visit with a dying friend. I have no training or mastery in situations such as these other than my own experience – on both sides of that equation. One of the blessed byproducts of your own suffering is a....