Please Come In!

Welcome! It's Friday morning which means it's time to dig into God's Word with friends and neighbors. About 7 of us gather at my home each Friday...won't you join us today?

Yes, the fire is crackling again this morning...just for you. What? Your morning stressors are evaporating? Goody! That's my hope and prayer whenever you come to my home.

Listen to us, laughing already!

I know, laughter feels good after getting a family out the door in the morning. That's why I love my sign here in the living room--you go ahead and read it while I take your coat.

"Trouble knocked on the door but hearing laughter hurried away." (Ben Franklin)

Come on in...you know where you're going by now...



You may not go upstairs...it looks pretty from here but up there it will scare you...clothes everywhere, unmade beds, dirty laundry, dust. But if it will make you feel better about your own house, go ahead and visit the mess. I won't mind. The whole house looks like that on Thursday nights, you know.



Here we are (I'm glad you didn't go upstairs. It would have been traumatic for you.)
Pumpkin Spice Cookies (recipe from Present Past Collection). Your coffee cup is waiting. Go ahead--help yourself... creamer's in the fridge.

Nice and hot...perfect for this chilly morning!

Got everything now? Let's head downstairs for our video teaching done by a good friend (well she doesn't personally know any of us, but our "friendship" is by faith. Many of us have known this particular teacher for years!)


Pumpkin spice candle--that's what smells so good. I'm glad you like it, too.

We're all women...you remember where the powder room is don't you?



Candles make even the most functional room in the house look inviting...and these are battery operated so I can forget about 'em!

Careful on the stairs. Watch the dog! Here we are...downstairs with our big tv.

The dog is waiting to choose one of your laps to sit on this morning.

He's there by the table, see him?

He chose me again, this morning. Ok, actually I chose him so he'd quit bothering you.

You're so nice to pretend he doesn't bother you.

It is funny when he starts dreaming during the closing prayer.

That's it? We're finished already?

Oh, I hate when Friday morning turns into Friday afternoon so soon. Our discussion was so good again today...thank you. Keep safe until next week!

Ahhh, one of my favorite "home scenarios"...company dishes in the sink.

I love making our home a haven...for my family and for you, my friends.

I'm so glad you came along today...come back again soon, won't you?

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This is our street. I love this time of year when the trees form an umbrella of sorts over our roads. We call our part of town "Mayberry" because everyone is always out in their yards, on their front porches, or walking kids and dogs.

"Hello!...how 'ya doin?...what kind of dog is that? where's the baby today?"

And if I travel a 1/2 mile north, I get to see this...

This house takes up a city block...it can't even fit in one photo!

Ohhh, I love this one....

And while our neighbors in this part of town are wonderful, I usually see more service personnel than homeowners.

Up on the hill is this beauty...

And it's handsome neighbor, here.

I love these beautiful homes, but it's always good to drive back down our Mayberry alleys, park in our one-car detached garage, and put my key in the back door.

It's a beautiful day all over the neighborhood.

My Baby

This is a photo of my husband, circa 1965.

He is listening to the dishwasher.

My husband is now 6'5.

My heart melts every time I look at this photo.

I love that baby.

Birthday Trifecta

Today's marks the birth day of my husband and me...and my sister. Yep. No joke. My husband and I are born on the same day, same year, hospitals an hour apart.

My sister had to go to Grandma's and got a baby sister for her 7th birthday.

My decorating diva friend, Nicole, made this beautiful nest for me!
I love it.


I picked these birthday candles up today. They're real wood!
And I had a blissful day spent here ... my favorite barn in the whole world.



We just finished one of my husband's most beloved meals, homemade chicken pot pie and we're pausing in front of the fire before cake (from our favorite bakery) and ice cream.




Life is good.

COMM 151

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.

I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

Jeremiah 20:9

As a professor (while the kids are at school) of Interpersonal Communication , I find it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep Jesus out of my lectures.

Oh, He's always been there in one form or another. But college students don't need someone shoving Jesus on them. I think they just need to witness someone who is real, who has joy, who can relate...and who happens to love Jesus, too.

But lately I just want to title my course "Interpersonal Communication:God's Way".

Because for me, His way is the only way to relate, to listen, to perceive, to love.

To live.

Love Rocks

Last night my cousin was in town from the west coast. She plays guitar. Very loudly. If I knew anything about guitars (other than I like when someone plays one around a campfire), I would have taken 100 pictures of her last night and written this post about riffs and licks. She is a very famous guitarist and has toured with famous people. But I digress.

After reminding my family how world-famous she is, we pulled up to see a small gathering of guitar enthusiasts gathered around my cousin in a beat-up storefront. As we opened the door, the music was deafening and, how shall I say?, not our type. I couldn't look at my husband or kids because we all got a bad case of the giggles. I couldn't look at my sister or her daughter or my brother-in-law. Because they had a case of the giggles. And I really couldn't look at my 70-something Dad, because he had a case of the belly laughs whenever we made eye contact. Let's just say this wasn't my family's element. (My husband called himself "the grinning idiot" because he was in such foreign territory.)

After a few hours, the alien media show and the music accompanying it was over and we got to visit with a cousin we've only met a half dozen times. I gave her a present of homemade brownies and two of my favorite books ("Traveling Mercies" and "The Shack"). I copied an old picture of my mom (her favorite aunt) as a child and wrote "she loved you deeply" on the back. We laughed a lot and enjoyed ourselves as she packed up her gear and showed us her RV. We bought cds and dvds of the loud music. We bought interesting t-shirts. The famous cousin was touched saying my Dad was her best customer.

I was so glad we had all made the effort to go rock out with a cousin we don't really know who plays music we don't really understand. After all, we're family.

They'll know we are Christians by our love.

And love doesn't just sit in the comforts of home listening to the same old music. Love walks. Love laughs. Love embraces. Love does. Love rocks.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Cor. 13:13)

Shaped for Serving

It feels good to do what God made you to do.

-Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life

Organizing contests between volleyball games -- not so good.

Creating gift bags for senior volleyball players -- very good.

Puritan's Prayer...May It Be Mine

You and I could pray like the Puritan.

He sat down to a meal of bread and water.

He bowed his head and declared,

"All this and Jesus too?"