Have you ever made shadow puppets? It’s easy to create a shadow resembling a duck, rabbit, dove, or swan. Young children find this skill entertaining and fascinating. If they tried to cuddle that duck or rabbit, however, they’d be sorely disappointed, realizing the puppeteer used only hands and not actual animals. The Old Testament is …
Do you find any foods particularly bothersome? Spicy foods cause some people heartburn. Others can’t drink caffeine at night without experiencing insomnia. A few get headaches after ingesting sweets. These foods enter our mouths but affect other parts of our bodies. Similarly, what we allow to linger in our minds, “chewing” and “digesting” those thoughts, …
These are crazy times and it would be easy to slip into a negative mindset. That’s why I so appreciate those who bring levity to the situation. The other day I saw a spoof article featuring a man sitting at his home office desk, wearing a headset and using his computer. He was well groomed, …
The current pandemic has triggered unprecedented events, including our youngest daughter’s recent college campus closure. The school ordered students to vacate on short notice, continuing all coursework online for the rest of the semester, so we suddenly needed to get her moved back home. We and our daughter‘s older sister caravanned down on Saturday morning thinking we’d easily …
As a youngster, one of our sons closed his eyes tightly when sneaking a cookie, reasoning that if he couldn’t see us, we couldn’t see him! We understood his rationale–“hiding” what his hand was doing. Though cute, he was wrong. When we know we’re in the wrong, we hide it. We find this human reaction …
God recently revealed to me how we try to hold on to seasons, events, circumstances, moments in our lives and want to camp there. We do this with all kinds of things. We experience something that seems successful or that makes us happy, and we want to preserve it, systematize it, institutionalize it. We can, …
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in his ballad “Der Zauberlehrling”, never intended to demonstrate a biblical truth. Neither did Walt Disney in his cartoon interpretation, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. But the story portrays an amazing reality. At the cartoon’s start, Mickey Mouse tires of having to carry water for his master, so he dons the Sorcerer’s cap and magically …
In almost every room of our house we display butterflies my husband artistically framed in shadow boxes. Our kids have observed, heard about, and learned way more about butterflies than the average person because of my husband’s past related business. Once when the kids were young, we watched a caterpillar form its chrysalis. When hatching day …
During my early elementary school years my family lived in Arlington, VA, just outside Washington D.C.. We saved money shopping at the Commissary and Navy Exchange on the military base, and went to the Navy doctor when necessary. Our family of three didn’t live extravagantly but we had enough to enjoy cultural outings now and …
We often leave a puzzle sitting out on a table at our house. It’s fun being able to take a break now and then, stopping to fill in a few more pieces of the picture. My favorite puzzles are from paintings that include scenes with people milling about doing various tasks. Most of them are …
