Shortest Day

At last it’s here–the first day of winter. This is the winter solstice. Isn’t it wonderful how God planned the seasons, set the planets in motion, and made this one day of all the year, the shortest? My mother didn’t like the short, dark days of winter, so I’d always remind her on December 21 […]

A Look Back, Way, Way Back

I found my old diary–my very old diary. It was a 5-year diary and, oh joy! it began in 1953! Can you believe it? I’ve always preferred reading diaries or journals of people who lived through old times because to me those are the truest accounts. This was evidently the journal of a young farm […]

Advent Candles

Our family has the tradition of lighting Advent candles on the Sundays before Christmas, then reading  Scripture. The soft glow of the candle is peaceful and silent but it reflects a powerful message of hope and love. I wish that our world would stop for a moment and absorb this quietness and peace. Doesn’t Scripture […]

Crisp and Clear

This is a beautiful, clear morning. Not a cloud and there’s no wind, but boy! It is cold! The temperature is hovering around thirteen degrees, so the beauty of this quiet morning is deceptive.  Amazing, what I can see with most of the leaves gone. Across from me, above my far neighbor’s house, I see […]

Winter’s Warning

Winter Back Yard

Backyard bushes, green and flowering in warm weather, become gray, drab sprigs in the winter. The birds don’t mind. When moonlight silvers the yard, they crowd deep into the thick twigs, twittering and chirping, discussing the day’s happenings, content to be hidden by darkness and their stubbly cover. A few wild, forest creatures slip into […]