“ ‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.” — Alice Walker

Are you a grateful person? Do you remember to thank God for the good things, in your life, big and small?

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, sometimes it’s too easy to block out the details of the day, forgetting that each and every day holds precious gifts. From the air we breathe to the friendships we hold close, there is always something to be thankful for.

Gratitude is a special…

Many years ago, I heard of the acronym JOY, and I have used it as a guide for life ever since.

J is for Jesus first.
O is for others next.
Y is for yourself last.

Over the years, I have tried to stick to this pattern in my daily life, and I use it as a pattern for praying.

I try to begin each day with Jesus at the center. I try to put Him first. I start with some Bible study and prayer.

When it comes to my actions during the day, I decide whether they will honor…

Nothing can describe that terrible pain that slices through you when after 30 years of life together he suddenly and cruelly tells you it’s over. You have lived with him longer than you have lived without him. You have lovingly shaped your life around his. Your very existences are intertwined. You bore his two daughters. You relinquished things very precious to you so he could follow his dreams. And then he hit you with those cutting, crushing words, out of the blue,

“I’m having an affair and I’m leaving you.”

His voice was deadly calm.

Your stomach lurched. You caught…

“Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning.”
— Prince

God gives us our lives to live one day at a time

Our lives which may span many years are divided into small, discrete units of 24 hours that make up each day. While God is in charge of the big picture, He only expects us to make it through a day at a time.

This is great news.

We can make it through the day, then rest. …

“How is the weather out there now?” the lady on the supermarket checkout asked. She looked as if she was in her mid-forties.

“Just starting to rain,” I answered.

“Well it looks as if I’m not going to get a walk when I finish work, “ she replied.

As she scanned my groceries I told her that I had been walking around the lake in the morning when the weather was fine. She said that sounded lovely and that she had had breast cancer and her specialist had told her she needed to walk every day, but she found it…

Jesus tells us to:

Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:31, NIV)

This is not always easy to do. In fact, sometimes it seems impossible.

But, what we need to remember is that, love isn’t just a warm and fuzzy feeling. It is an action. It is the way we treat someone. Love is a verb. It is something we do — not necessarily something we just feel.

Sometimes we just can’t feel that warm and loving feeling toward someone. They may have wronged us. They may be very annoying. But we can put love into action. …

I was in a marriage for 30 years and I gradually lost myself. When I thought I was doing everything to give my husband a good life he left me for someone else. I was devastated. It has given me a lot to think about.

Most of us live in partnerships with a spouse or loved one. It can be wonderful to have someone with whom we can share our lives. But it is really important that in a relationship you remain true to yourself.

The disconnect between who we feel we have to be, and who we want to…

“Baseball calls it a curveball for a reason: you just don’t know where some pitches will land… Your bench must be broad and deep enough to overcome“.

Christine Pelosi

It can happen to all of us — we suddenly find ourselves engulfed by despair. Perhaps we have experienced a devastating loss. Maybe we have reached a breaking point. Or maybe we are experiencing a sudden, unexpected turmoil.

There are three parts to coping when life throws you a curveball: 1) stop and recover; 2) plan; 3) follow through with new habits and routines.

Sometimes things happen in life which can…