Over the last year or so, I have been blessed to include my daughter in my work. Just as I was trying take my own pictures for my posts, she started developing an eye for photography. Great timing because I just don't have that talent. If you see an amateur-looking photo, that one's mine, and I've probably already heard about it. Now she is on the lookout for good pictures and good themes. She has ideas for posts I could write, and we get to take field trips to beautiful spot

Several years ago, a friend of ours was serving in Iraq over Valentine's Day. I wanted to send something to him and to his troops, and thought cards would be a great idea. I was able to get first names from him and had my daughter's kindergarten class write individualized cards to each one of them. The kids loved writing, drawing pictures, and telling these people they were their heroes. I sent them off with some goodies, hoping to brighten the day for the troops. Our friend

Have you ever cleaned out a closet? I mean, really cleaned out a closet? Every couple years, I clean out our pantry, which has also served as a storage facility for craft supplies, coloring books, writing notebooks, school supplies, and random trinkets that we just can't seem to throw away. It's a pretty big pantry. Invariably, my husband walks in just as I have everything dumped out onto the floor of the kitchen and walks away in fear that it would never go back to normal. B

Not long after the Resurrection, Peter and some of the others went fishing. Yes, they had seen Jesus, but life had to go on, didn't it? You can't just sit and wait for Him to show back up again. There is work to be done, people to care for, things to set in order. So life goes on. Time to go fishing. Not like we go fishing, but like a fisherman goes fishing - for his livelihood. This is ordinary time. At least, this is how many of us do it. On some level, after forty days of

"Tell them to meet me in Galilee." These are Jesus' words to Mary Magdalene as she comes from the empty tomb. Everything has changed. Nothing is as expected. As she clings to Jesus, He tells her to let go, and return to the others with a message: "We've started something new, but first we need to go back to the beginning. Back to where I called you in the first place. Back to where you dropped everything and followed Me." When they eventually arrive there, Jesus comes to them

It's finally here. The fiftieth day of Easter. Pentecost. It's interesting to me that Pentecost is not just an event after Easter, but an event ofEaster. Like I said fifty days ago, Easter was not the end, it was just the beginning. In the interim, we've read through the entire book of Acts, and most of the Gospel of John. We've seen how Jesus broke open the Scriptures and explained everything to the apostles. We've seen how the Holy Spirit, who arrives today, changes the peo

This week, Paul travels to Ephesus, baptizes a group of 12 men in the name of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit shows up much as it did for Pentecost. Each one of the men starts speaking in tongues and prophesying. After two years, he leaves Ephesus. He knows that he will not return, and tells them so. His travels are coming to an end, and he will eventually be imprisoned and killed. It is interesting to note that Paul's letter to the Ephesians was written after he left th

In this final week of Easter, we straddle Holy Week as Jesus finishes His prayers and dialogue at the Last Supper and then talks to Simon on the seashore after He has risen from the dead. We start the week hearing Jesus tell the apostles that they are going to scatter and leave Him alone, and then immediately He starts to comfort them. That's not usually how that goes, is it? He tells them not to worry that they have left Him alone because the Father is with Him. He wants the

As the Easter season draws to a close, we come to a place of transition in the readings of the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Jesus has risen, appeared many times, and returned to heaven with a promise that He will send an Advocate to help them. As they wait, they must replace the one who was lost. Jesus had many disciples, but the inner circle was very specifically twelve. Reflecting the twelve tribes of Israel, this new kingdom had to be complete in same way. I think he thing th

In this sixth week of Easter, we find Paul and another disciple beaten and in prison once again. At this point, the man has to be an incredible mess of scars, broken bones, and painful wounds. Yet, he sits in prison singing and praising Jesus. What kind of crazy is this? It's the kind of crazy that knows Jesus will do anything to place you where you need to be and reach those He needs to reach. In the middle of the night, there is a huge earthquake, the cells are all opened,