Are You a Bibliophile?
Don't worry...it's okay if you are. I am, too. Go ahead. Say it aloud."I am a bibliophile."Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? Don't know what the big deal is...there's no shame in being a book lover, after all. So, what can one bibliophile do for another that would be heavy on the reading material and light on the wallet? This is what:Yes, my book fanatic friends, Booksfree is to us what Netflix is to the movie lover, and it operates in exactly the same way. Paperbacks only, mind you, but you'll be hard-pressed to find something they don't carry. No time limits, no late fees...even audio books! Oh the joy...the rapture!Don't believe me? Why don't you head on over and check them out...
Hymns
I was just reading a post on Travis Cottrell's blog, asking for our favorite hymns and/or the hymns we just don't hear in church anymore. Depending on where you attend, those may be one and the same! I'm sure he'd love to get your input, so why don't you head on over there when you're done here?I have a lot of favorites; two of them being Be Thou My Vision and On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand. But probably my all-time favorite is How Great Thou Art. While the old-time hymnal arrangement is mighty fine, there is another arrangement of this classic that moves me to my core. You'll find it at the end of this post.This arrangement was done by an old friend of mine, Brent Tallent, for...
Happiness or Holiness?
While I was in Texas, I attended my parents' church and heard part of a sermon series called "Don't Drink the Kool-aid". LOVE that title! We do, after all, live in a Kool-aid sluggin' society, buying into anything and everything that might make us a little bit happier.This weekend, at my own church, we took part in a sermon series called "Island Living" (our sanctuary is currently filled with sand and it's set up just like a beach with people in their beach chairs...I'm not kidding!!). The message for the week was on managing everyday stress, and talked about trials; the how and why of God's use of stress in our lives. In both services, there was a key phrase that was given and has...
The Least of These
I just got back from visiting my parents in Texas. My uncle died recently and my brothers and I came home to help Mom and Dad clean out his house. It was a really special time of togetherness, reminiscing and productivity. I was struck, afresh, by the "ties that bind" from generation to generation, and felt deeply the love each has handed down to the next. Our family has been richly blessed. My family has always been very cognizant and respectful of the elderly. My dad's family was surrounded by older folks because my grandfather was 60 when my dad was born...the kids were raised to revere their elders and it was passed down to us. So, it was no surprise to me when my parents...
A Father’s Touch
I wish there was a little scratch 'n sniff patch on your screen, so you could smell this fabulous fragrance! Gardenias...oh, the heavenly scent that floats on the air this time of year! I am blessed to have a bush right next to my front porch; a very pleasant surprise for me when we looked at this house for the first time. I love them, not only because of their scent or their delicate appearance, but mainly because of my dad. I was a little girl, that grew into a bigger girl, who is now an older girl. But the "girl" part remains, no matter how old I get. That "girl" was nurtured early on by her daddy, who hugged a lot, whistled when I walked in the room dressed for church...