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Dictionary.com gives the following definitions...

Rejoice - to make joyful; gladden

Reflect - to think, ponder, or meditate

Celebrate - to make known publicly; proclaim

It saddens my heart how commercialized Christmas has become, yet I too am drawn into the hustle and bustle of the season. All of the commercials and hoopla draw us away from the true meaning of Christmas. The Christ child, which is why we should be reflecting, rejoicing, and celebrating.

So as you step into the final days before...

We were blessed to purchase a winter home in a wonderful neighborhood in Florida this year. In the evenings I love to walk, and I try to pick a different street so I can meet the neighbors. We were back in town for just a week or so, and I wanted to exchange emails with a neighbor I had met in March, so I decided to walk to her house.

When I rang her doorbell, I felt like I had hit the jackpot. To my surprise, several neighbors were sitting at her table playing dominoes. I love to meet new...

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13).

As members of the church waved their palm branches on Palm Sunday, I wondered, “Why do we do this? What is the significance of palm branches today or when Jesus made His triumphant entrance to...

My granddaughter, Reagan, helped me decorate the Christmas tree this year. She had only put a couple of ornaments on the tree when I heard a crash, which happens every year. She even commented that there had been another casualty and that an ornament fell off the tree. No worries, we have lost more valuable decorations in the past when she and her sister were much smaller.

This particular bulb was one that the grandkids made, and I have since learned to purchase plastic bulbs and not glass...

I was having one of those days, actually I could say one of those weeks, but this day was the topper. Work had piled up, and I felt buried. Not one great big project but numerous small ones that all seemed to have a very high priority. Intense fellowship had taken place between Jim and I that morning. I had waited over an hour (which I didn’t have to spare) to see a doctor, who told me I should consider optional eye lid surgery to solve my eyelash problem. The thought of another surgery just...

Difficulties are God's errands; and when we are sent upon them, we should esteem it a proof of God's confidence,—as a compliment from God. ~Henry Ward Beecher

I recently joined a new social media platform. When I post on other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, I make the same post there. After a few weeks of posting, I received messages to stop. These complaints were followed by messages from other followers asking me not to stop.

As of today, the only reply I made on the platform was to...

I dropped a laundry basket of clean clothes near my husband’s chair. I knew it was a long shot, but I thought maybe he would notice the basket and match socks while he watched the TV. (Try it sometime, because it worked!)

When he got to the end of the basket, he was missing a sock. No big deal, it happens all the time. I set the sock on top of the dresser and figured its friend would show up in another load.

Fast forward several days and I’m at the chiropractor standing at the front desk. I...

I pray you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The holiday season can be difficult for many. The stress of shopping and finding that perfect gift for that special someone. Some are traveling which adds extra expense and creates busy schedules. For me this year, it is the first Christmas without Dad. Though we have not celebrated a big family Christmas for several years, it is still difficult this year.

Through all the challenging, stressful days, there is One who gives us hope, the...

Sometimes life gets crazy messy, like my house while we were waiting on new flooring. We ordered vinyl flooring for the office and carpet for the bedroom. They estimated it would be about three weeks before it arrived. I saw no hurry to empty either room and paint. After all, I had plenty of time.

My three weeks turned into about ten days, and I had very little notice they were coming to install the office flooring. I literally dumped piles of papers into boxes as I cleared the desks and...

Faith is an element in my life, which I have questioned from time to time. What exactly is faith? Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) says “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” If I pray for something in faith and it doesn’t happen, is that a lack of faith? I have come to realize over the years that it is not. We need to understand and be thankful that God sometimes says, “No.”

I grew up in a godly home where examples of faith surrounded me. On the family farm, there...

I still remember the phone call I received from my sister while on vacation several years ago. She called to inform me that our nephew Heath had embezzled money from the family farm to support his addiction to prescription narcotics. Though many of us were suspicious or even knew there was a problem, we ignored the signs. We did not realize how horrible his addiction had become. Now several years later, if you ask Heath about this day, he will describe it as the best and worst day of his...

We recently visited De Leon Springs state park in Florida. It was a beautiful setting with a natural spring and many huge old trees filled with moss. It was relaxing to take a walk through the trees, see the wild azaleas in bloom, and just sit on a bench and soak in the sunshine.

Unfortunately, you weren’t in Florida with me, but hopefully you can relate by the picture of the trees covered with moss. How are your branches? Do you feel as if they are bending down under a heavy load of moss?

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My friend signs her notes KOKO, which means keep on keeping on. In other words, when life is difficult, stay the course, don’t give up, go the extra mile, and keep being a witness for Christ.

In some respects, KOKO is easier on paper than it is in person. There are times when we get weary and struggle in our faith. In those moments of frustration or discouragement, we need to dig deep within ourselves for the motivation to continue. Walking the Christian road alone is not sufficient in itself....

Whenever I have a fortune cookie, I have to read the fortune. Most of them are more of a puzzle than they are wisdom, but on occasion I receive one that makes me think.

This fortune has been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, and I have read it periodically. “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” I believe it is important to live a life of gratitude, but I would like to rephrase the fortune for you. “Gratitude toward Jesus is not only the greatest...

Picture in your mind your happy place. For some it is a walk in the woods, a cabin in the mountains, or a stroll along the beach. Many people enjoy the morning silence with a cup of coffee in their favorite chair. Possibly it is the view from your front porch, or a leisurely drive in your car. Wherever your happy place is—go there in your mind.

I believe Peter’s happy place was the Sea of Galilee. This is where Jesus first asked Peter to become a disciple, and where Peter committed to a...

It is the little things in life that make a huge difference in our hearts. A hug from a child or a friend. Settling in with a good book in the morning sunshine. I few quiet moments with God in the middle of the day. Sometimes it is showering your friends with an unexpected homemade treat!

When life gets super busy, we often miss the moments of splendor, which seem insignificant in the day-to-day struggles. We forget to look at the flowers in bloom, or to take an evening walk. On the rainy days...

Unfortunately, we are experiencing high temperatures and a moderate drought in Central Ohio this year. My personal opinion is that some fields in the area have a severe drought as the corn appears to be shriveling and starting to die in early July. Since farming is our livelihood, God is definitely testing our faith and our drought index this year. When times get tough, how is your drought index? Do you have scriptures which give you peace in times of trouble?

Due to lack of rain and high...

At a recent event known as the Walk to Emmaus I was blessed to be on the leadership team and help lead discussions with some wonderful ladies. On our last day, we asked one another about our favorite Bible story. For me it was so hard to choose. You have the story of Esther. The Samaritan Woman. The woman who touched Jesus’ robe. Peter walked on water. How do you choose just one? I admit I don't remember which one I selected, but I remember Iola's favorite. It was the widow woman's offering.

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God created us with amazing senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Each of our senses work separately, yet they also work together. For example, a blind person typically has a greater sense of hearing and touch to compensate for the loss of their sight. But even though their other senses are heightened, it will never totally replace their loss of sight.

Our senses can often cause us to experience flashbacks of great memories. While driving last week, I could smell smoke in the air. It...

My husband and I stopped in Shanksville, Pennsylvania this summer on our way home from vacation. This isn’t your typical vacation spot, but our son had encouraged us to stop and see the temporary memorial site from Flight 93, which crashed during the attacks on September 11, 2001.I have to admit my initial response was a little mixed. There didn’t appear to be much to see, an open field and a few signs posted along a chain link fence. Propped against the fence were some gifts, poems and...