February is about love and red roses. That’s why I picked this painting. These red roses and white daisies are surrounded with a lot of love, like best friends and lovers, they make us look better. The supporting flowers in this bouquet consist of short strokes, blurred lines. They fade into the background, so the focal point catches the eye of the viewer. As I studied this picture as to what could be said in a spiritual lesson, I thought about when I stepped down from leadership two years ago—b…

“Don’t open your Christmas card until I tell you what’s on my mind.” I passed out a card to each of the 12 members of the family. I wondered how they would react when they opened them. The family sat quietly holding the cards. “Your dad and I have an expiration date. We don’t have many more years of shelf life left, but we have plenty of food in the pantry: knowledge, wisdom, understanding and how to live successfully in this life.” I had their attention. I unashamedly said, “Each of you are get…

It’s a new year. Take a deep breath. The sun came up just like the Lord promised it would. Start this year with a clean slate. Leave behind all the trouble that consumed you last year. It’s time to sing a new song. I count on God’s heart of grace toward us. Jeremiah speaks of God’s faithfulness. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” – Lamentations 3:22, 23 (NKJV). I’ve walked out of tune in the p…

Does anyone remember the old Victoria Magazine? In the ‘80s, I could hardly wait for the next issue. Every word, watercolor and poem drew me in. The vintage handwriting, the soft pastel watercolors were headers for each article. A line or two from a favorite poem graced the pages around its content. I spent hours looking, reading and storing the monthly issues in a safe place. The heart of the magazine matched mine. It was perfect. But then, in the ‘90s, I noticed a change. Words on the front co…

Happy New Year. 2025 was all about getting well. It was a season of healing and learning. Seeds planted produced new understanding about spiritual things. It brought me closer to my walk with the Lord. Each season has its reason and a new harvest, glorifying the Son of Man as we recognize God in our lives. 2025 produced more faith to praise the name of God, and to handle the days ahead. It will be a busy year as I wrap up two books and release them into the world in 2026. I will continue with my…

“Back behind me on the trail of time, there is a place that is sacred to me. Sometimes I go there in my mind and I look upon it thankfully,” Steve Chapman wrote in one of his lyrics. There were times, when looking back, we would like to slam the door on the last year and not revisit it again. But, wait: There were sacred places for some of is in all the nonsense. Buried in the ashes, we sift through the debris and find those sacred moments and relationships worthy of remembering. And there we fi…