In August 1961 construction East Germany began construction on the Berlin Wall in order to completely cut itself off from West Germany. East Germany was firmly entrenched in becoming a socialist/fascist state, and threatened by the freedom offered on the other side. The barrier they built included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, and it included anti-vehicle trenches and defenses meant to keep people from defecting from the communist side to the democratic side. In the post-World War II period from 1961 to 1990, over 5,000 Continue Reading
May 8, 2013 By
Beachball Therapy- Not!
Have you ever tried to hold a beach ball underwater? It takes a lot of energy and focus. You may be trying to hide it from someone else in the pool, trying to make nice and act like you don’t have it. But invariably, something will happen – you get distracted, you loosen your grip, someone calls your name, and whoosh! That beach ball ascends to the surface with astounding speed, and once it starts, it’s almost impossible to stop. The force with which it reveals itself can be surprising and shocking. That’s the way the world tries to Continue Reading
April 24, 2013 By
What, Me, Worry?
What does a girl do when she’s anxious? In my case, she bakes oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, settles down in front of her favorite chick flick and proceeds to eat the whole batch into oblivion. Chewy, sweet, slightly nutritious… escapism. There are so many things that set our nerves on edge these days. We worry about our children’s safety. We hear stories about people showing up at schools with shotguns and predators’ trolling the internet. Our schedules seem to be non-stop, finances and relational issues bog us down, and we torment Continue Reading
November 20, 2012 By
The Woes of Joe’s Toes
I recently purchased a plaque in honor of my Joe’s and 25th wedding anniversary. It’s hanging in between the His and Hers mirrors in our master bath. It has a not-so-subtle message: “You and I are pretty unusual: I am pretty and you are unusual.” So, needless to say, I’m living up to the “Princess” label Joe has assigned to me. (I’m ok with that, by the way--I enjoy flouncing, and I love to make an entrance). But I’ve also given Joe the label of “Quirky”. Take the issue of our mutual toes. Every morning, Joe and I execute the same Continue Reading
November 14, 2012 By
God’s Lemonade
I’m fresh off a study in my women’s group on the Book of Jonah-- four short chapters long on drama! It’s a story of God’s interruption in the life of a man who refused His call, rebelled and bolted, got rerouted and released on the shore with no choice but to revisit his mandate to preach repentance. Could our group relate from lessons learned in our own lives! I appreciated the honest sharing, citing second chances and divine interventions, recycled hardships and God’s unrelenting pursuit ( O Love that Will Not Let Me Go! ). We Continue Reading
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