If the first weeks of the New Year were a color they would be blue-gray — at least where I live. Days are seldom, if ever, bright blue and almost always more gray than blue. My older sister loves these…

Standing at the window, this old rancher takes a sip from his third cup of coffee. “Finally,” comes a silent thought, “it’s light enough.” As dawn breaks each morning, before I don my boots, hat, and jacket, I count. First…

I live alone and have for many years. I’ve been single for more than 27 years, but I shared my home with my daughter (and the nurses who cared for her) until 2010, when she moved in with her primary…

Surely, one of the greatest blessings in life is becoming a new parent! My husband, Timothy, and I waited eleven years for our firstborn child, a son, born in 1981. During the pregnancy, Timothy and I marveled at the “miracle…

When asked to write a blog on blessings, I did what I normally do and said, “Sure, I can do that. Thanks for asking.” Later I realized I had agreed to write about being blessed while going through the most…

Boarding an adult child requires money, patience, and most of all, prayer. I never feared the Empty Nest Syndrome. Don’t get me wrong; I love my daughter with all my heart and raising her into a strong woman of God…

Diagnosis and the days to follow were some of the hardest days I’ve lived on Earth thus far. No one expects to be given a cancer diagnosis, but even fewer expect a cancer diagnosis at 28 years old after going…

Our little wooden house sat on a hill outside of the small north Georgia town. A big field was nearby where my two older brothers and I spent hours playing with the neighborhood kids. My mother stayed inside suffering from…

Beginning in May, I eagerly open my bedroom blinds, seeking that first daylily bloom. Soon the sweet yellow of the Stella D’Ora appears. Its boldness and perfect form interrupt the bed of greenery. The sturdy yellow blossoms dance in the…