Miscellaneous collection of stories
See here’s the thing! You may attain a certain stage of life where you are simply content. You are comfortable in your own skin, at peace with who you are, and proud of how far you’ve come. You are satisfied with all you’ve accomplished in life to this point. You are happy with your choices. You’re calm, clear and confident in the reasoning that prompted those decisions.
You feel content and serene. Continue reading →
I know this sounds strange but this actually is a very profound statement. It’s so true of me.
Let me ask you a question. Do you ever have a rush of thoughts that flit around your mind like a flurry of snowflakes whirling in the wind on a wintry day? Such flashes of elusive thoughts are hard to capture in your head, so I find it helpful to write them down and organize into some form of meaningful expression.
As a writer, I do it all the time! I call it creative writing!! I convert higgledy-piggledy thoughts from my head into written words to make more sense of them. Then, after reading those words, I can clarify precisely what I was thinking. Make sense?
Try it sometime!!
Perhaps the only thing more rewarding than fulfilling your own dream is to bring the dreams of another to fruition. A generational dream—or a dream within a dream.
Several years ago, I read Chase the Lion, an inspirational book by Mark Batterson, where he introduces the concept of generational dreams. His words are compelling. The concept he shares lodged deep-down in my memory bank, and only surfaced when a set of circumstances aligned, reminding me of his words and bringing them to life.
It always amazes me how orderly life is. Even amidst the chaos, time and sequence of events are relevant. Let me put it another way—God’s plans and his timing are always perfect. We may be perplexed. He is not. Continue reading →
We sit outside at dusk by the spreading oak tree. On the deck, beneath its canopy of gnarled boughs, we savor quiet moments to unwind after a busy day at the ranch.
Rustling leaves seem to sing in concert with whispers from the oak’s branches, as they sway softly in the evening air, lulling us into a sense of calm. Continue reading →
I snapped this scene with a screen shot from my iPhone. It’s the view of our sunny deck at the ranch, as revealed by my security camera app. A sense of calm rushes through me at the serene sight. Though not physically there, the image helps me recapture the sense of peace I feel whenever I am at Whispering Oaks Ridge. There, nestled away in the countryside, surrounded by nature’s beauty, my soul rests. I find solace. An unspoken assurance conveys a clear message that all will be well. Continue reading →
Happy beautiful Sunday!
In times such as these, darkness has a way of creeping into the world—black shadows that encircle our lives, flooding our souls with foreboding.
I shot this photo at the ranch a while back, while star gazing on a cold night. As I marveled at the strange cloud formation, in the frostiness of the eleventh hour, an eerie chill swept through me, and I shivered.
Then, quite suddenly, as I moved toward the warmth of our cozy house, bright moonbeams broke through the mottled dark clouds, bathing the sky in brilliant light, reminding me that clouds do have silver linings. Continue reading →
I awaken this morning at dusk to a steel-grey sky that shrieks of icy coldness. It’s dull and dreary, and as I approach the back door, the frigid temperature from outside permeates the glass, wafting me with a blast of cool air. The patio, clothed in a fresh layer of ice, confirms Winter is with us still. I shudder as a deep sense of impending gloom steals over me.
With a steaming hot cup of tea in hand, I settle in to read my daily devotional, but am immediately chilled by the opening sentence. “You will be wounded” says the author, referring to spiritual warfare—not a new concept to me, I’ve faced those attacks in the past. Nevertheless, a clear reminder that evil is an ever-present danger in our world. Continue reading →
I LOVE beautiful things from bygone days. Weathered things that have withstood the test of time—antique clocks, vintage china, old buildings, ancient trees, and historic places. The mystery encircling them simply enchants me.
I miss my frequent trips to Dorset.
I am especially drawn to old cobblestone streets like this one. Four years ago today I meandered up and down the oh-so-familiar Gold Hill in Shaftesbury. The old cottages, enshrouded in morning mist, stood stark white against the bubbled, brownish cobblestones, wet with dew, and covered in a velvety green moss. The memory lingers to this day. Continue reading →
Good morning! As daylight breaks and brightness fills the lower meadow announcing morning has broken, the waning moon fades into the frostiness of a pale sky. I never tire of the beauty of nature, the contrasts of morning and evening, and the freshness that accompanies each sunrise and sunset, especially those at the ranch. I recall this beautiful passage …….
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. —Psalm 143:8
We live in troubling times. I pray today your heart is filled with eternal hope.
Tonight at Whispering Oaks Ridge.
Taken from our front porch at the ranch. We actually held up dinner with our friends to marvel at the beauty of this evening’s sky. A fiery red sunset—the kind that takes your breath away. Such beauty from God always makes me want to drop to my knees from the glory of it all.
Do beautiful sunsets set your soul on fire and affect you that way too?
Lord, how great thou art.