Serve by Design

This past season was wringing with nostalgia and thoughts of Christmas past. Family members were gathering in search of the perfect Christmas. I experienced a glimpse of this when our adult children wanted to be sure that mom had prepared all their favorite foods (including escargot and Coquilles Saint-Jacques), that the tree was decorated with familiar ornaments (some of them had been handcrafted when they were children!), and that all 22 of “the   stockings were hung by the chimney with care!” Next Sleepover Ready! The grandkids had their expectations too! Was the foosball table in the basement uncovered and ready for action like always? Would the recreational equipment be in its place in the canvas storage bins? And yes, it was warm enough this year on Christmas Eve for a little outdoor football game! Others were hoping that their latest school and family pictures were on the refrigerator. Some looked around to see if the peanut brittle, candy canes, small chocolate bars, and other

Those of us in the Midwest have had some unusually beautiful late fall days! Although it is still a day away from the official beginning of the winter solstice at 9:27pm on December 21 st , even the local tv weather person has coined a phrase, “fall-winter,” to describe the dry conditions and above average temperatures we have been enjoying for several weeks now. My fall leaf mulching detail has been extended to a few more weeks as a result! Surprise! Not just another sunrise! Photo credit: Granddaughter Eloise I’m not sure if it is directly connected to the weather, but I have personally seen some awe-inspiring sunrises during this period of above average temperatures. One of our artistic granddaughters, Eloise, captured such a gorgeous sunrise just a few days ago on her Friday car ride to school. She has an eye for beauty and found God’s handiwork that morning to be an excellent palette for her photo! She would be surprised to hear the following Sunday morning how her pastor had gott

It is estimated that between sixty and a hundred million homeless cats live in the U.S. (peta.org). Many of them have been abandoned. Some will be sheltered for a time. A few will be fortunate enough to be rescued. A male cat named Trauma is one of the lucky ones! A cat DNA would be required (and yes, there is such a thing!) to definitively identify his breed. He is thought to be a smaller version of the Maine Coon which is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. Trauma: Healthy and Happy! Trauma’s rescue story began with a woman who worked as a Trail Crew guide for the United States Forest  Service. Marty (not her real name) made a career of planning hiking trips for adventurous individuals. This put her in peak physical condition as she was often required to carry heavy gear as a part of her job. Fifteen years ago, Marty was out in the great outdoors when she happened upon a mangy cat that was obviously homeless and in great physical and probable psychological distress!

I must confess that there were numerous occasions during my first year of college when I prayed that something would “deliver me” from having to attend a required lecture that I may not have had much interest in and considered boring anyway. In every instance, my prayer for divine intervention was denied! Well, one of our college grandsons had a recent experience that prevented him and his class from participating in a lecture by a professor with a strict attendance policy. Ben (center with white t) relaxed and ready for his Art History lecture! Ben had come home after a week of studies at Texas State and was awaiting a final lecture with slides in his favorite Art History class just days before the Thanksgiving break. His dad offered to chauffeur him on the hour-long drive to campus for the Monday evening class. It was a win-win decision that gave Ben some time to collect himself without the distraction of driving and his dad some welcomed one-on-one with his eldest son. Upon their a