Dogs and Grace

My grown daughter recently noted that she had never lived in a home without a dog. It reminded me that statistics show raising children with pets helps them learn responsibility and kindness. And adults with dogs generally live seven years longer and are less lonely …

Other Mothers

It has been a quarter century since my mother-in-law died and yet, in many ways, in seems like last month. Our family still uses her recipes and talks about her caring ways. We laugh about her funny expressions. A recent spring cool spell reminded me …

The Birds of Easter

The Birds of Easter

Years ago in late summer we moved into a house that had been empty almost a year. When I opened the fireplace damper to see if it was operational, four dead birds fell out. That should have warned us that we needed to screen the …

My Bucket List

My Bucket List

We used to say, “These are the things I’d like to do before I die.” However, after the movie The Bucket List was released in 2007, our jargon changed. That film prompted many to create their own list for the first time. Although the name …

Help in Times of Trouble

Does God care about our everyday problems? My answer from experience is always a resounding, Yes. In 1993 I was attending Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  I lived about 30 miles from the seminary, it was a long commute on class days.  Anyone who has …

Review of Stars in the Grass

Mentoring Moments columnist Ann Marie Stewart’s newly released novel, Stars in the Grass, debuted on February 1. The idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart. Before the accident, her dad, Reverend John McAndrews, had all the answers, …

The Miracle Worker 4

The Miracle Worker and Mary Magdalene

The Miracle Worker, based on Helen Keller’s book The Story of My Life, was released in 1962. Shot in black and white, the strarkness of the film showcases the gravity of the situation. Anne Bancroft plays Annie Sullivan, the woman who taught a blind, deaf …

The Gift of Peace

The Gift of Peace

Christmas isn’t all about gifts but, in our culture, few escape gift giving. While I write lists and shop throughout the year, more talented individuals make what they give. They say it’s a way of giving themselves. I admire those who sew, paint, sculpt, photograph …