Words from Another World
"Sticks and stones might break my bones but words will never hurt me!" Wrong. As adults we've long since figured out that childhood nursery rhyme we sang to protect ourselves couldn't be further from the truth. We no longer deny that words can be mighty painful. What both fascinates and challenges me, is their power to change the world. Picture if you will, the disciples of
He Paid Your Way
Recently, I was on the phone with one of my thin place friends discussing a retreat I had spoken at in Hawkins, TX over the holidays. If you're not familiar with that term, do google it. I doubt my brief description will do the old Celtic phrase justice. In short, a thin place friend is someone with whom you share an unexplainable spiritual connection. Whenever
Bring Others Into the Sanctuary this Christmas
God and I have several special places we like to share but it was clear that I wasn’t going to be experiencing any of them that particular morning. The house was bursting with big people aplenty and five grands under five. Translated that means no private time with God on the dock, no rocking chair solitude on the patio, and no swinging with Jesus on
The Christmas Story, To Be Continued…
The beloved hubby and I were totally engrossed in the drama playing out on the screen and the mounting suspense of the plot. We had both lost track of time which allowed us to be surprised, and not in a good way, with three of the most irritating words ever heard by anyone absorbed in a story line, “to be continued.” Bummer! Cliffhangers are well named. They
I Know My Own, and My Own Know Me
In the event that you aren’t tweeting with me on Twitter, following me on Facebook, or exchanging pics on Instagram, you may not be aware of our latest blessing. I can fix that. Hear ye, hear ye, Weston Phillip Tomlinson, our fifth grandchild, was born on November 13th. Considering the ginanormous amount of pictures of Weston that I’ve already collected on my iPhone, I feel I’ve
Let’s Plug In
The All Things Southern office can be a most unusual workplace. Many a Wednesday finds me trying to turn in deadlines and keep this boat afloat while playing grocery store or school with the All Things Southern Bellerinas. Longtime listeners will recognize those titles as belonging to my lovely granddaughters Emerson Ann and Carlisle Mae. At five and three, those two are busy and getting
Unplugged
As I may have mentioned ten or two hundred times already, I was doing a number of things simultaneously long before the experts gave it a name and began debating its advantages and disadvantages. Their conclusions are a mute point for me. I don’t multi-task out of a personal conviction that it increases my efficiency; it’s simply the way I’m programmed. It bothers me to
When God Wakes You Up!
My son is a very hard worker and a notoriously heavy sleeper. I remember trying to wake him for school. Phillip had a way of acting like he was fully conscious while he was still sleeping, so I would leave the room without completely waking him. It was frustrating then. It’s funny now. But, that’s because it’s not my problem anymore. No, it’s his darling wife’s
Back in the Day
My daughter and daughter-in-law are gifted young women. Among their other talents, they’re both excellent cooks and crafters. They enjoy finding an image on Pinterest and replicating it in their own style. As do I. This came as a something of a surprise to the girls. They said as much when I brushed off my crafting skills last year and joined ‘em. Being as how I
That’s Serious Shouting Ground
My sisters and I know a few things about forced celebrations. We participated in our fair share of them while traveling with our parents on those yesteryear vacations. Cyndie, Rhonda, and I were a regular backseat trio of discontented warriors. We complained, we argued, and we fought until Papa would break in with one of his infamous rulings. “We’re on vacation,” he’d say. “And we’re gonna