For the first time, since I was in the marching band in high school, I have found a way to exercise consistently, doing something I enjoy. Ray and I bought a mini-trampoline. It meets all the criteria I wanted. I can do it rain or shine. It fits in our closet, so I don’t have to decorate […]
I have mentioned before that Ray is my dictionary, encyclopedia, and Bible concordance. He is also my news reporter. Yesterday he sent me a link to a tragic story about a man whom I will call Joe. Joe grew up in what he believed to be a good home. He believed his father to be a […]
Of the many resources Ray and I have used to strengthen our marriage, the concepts in the book Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs have been some of the most powerful. The subtitle sums up its message: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs. Dr. Eggerichs based his book on Ephesians […]
When Ray and I were young, we had never heard of MP3 players, compact discs, or YouTube. Christians listened to sermons two ways–in person and on cassette tape. A popular sermon tape that made the rounds when we were in our twenties discussed what the speaker would do if he were a woman. One of his […]
“And they lived happily ever after.” So ends the tale of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, the Princess and the Pea, and on and on the list goes. If we aren’t careful, we’ll come to expect that outcome for our own lives. Melissa and I stood in the aisle of the homeschool convention, pouring our hearts out […]
After the devotional with the whole church in the auditorium, little girls with freshly-curled hair, frilly dresses over can-can slips, white anklets, and black patent shoes and little boys with Brylcreemed hair, white shirts, bow ties, dress pants, and black leather shoes scrambled off to Sunday School in the basement. We sat down noisily in little wooden chairs around […]
Just like last year, we are having a cold January. Still, we don’t usually get a lot of snow on our Jackson County hills. When we do, it’s very pretty. Here’s a picture from a few winters ago to prove it. I’m always sad to see it go away. You folks who live in the north […]
Besides the opportunity to be there on the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, I had two other goals when we went to the Hermitage last Thursday. I wanted Ray to get to be at that special place on that special day because Andrew Jackson is one of his favorite historical figures. I wanted to meet and […]
We live in Jackson County, Tennessee. Many places across the country are named for Andrew Jackson, but Jackson County, Tennessee, was named for Jackson in 1801, long before he became President and long before he became famous for leading American soldiers to victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Of the twenty-three U.S. counties named […]
Year after year, Ray and I think about going to The Hermitage–home of Andrew Jackson, seventh President of the United States and first President to live west of the Appalachian Mountains–on January 8. The Hermitage is free every January 8 because it is the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. One time we made […]
