God’s Special School for Comforters
One morning, my next-door neighbor Debbie invited me to her porch for a chat. I was in the middle of prepping for a trip and short on time, but I needed conversation more than I needed to have everything done. I was fortunate to have ...
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Jesus’ Refreshing Living Water
It was 94 degrees as I walked the familiar route. Apparently I'm a professional procrastinator when it comes to exercise. I was mad at myself for putting it off until it was hot enough in South Carolina to roast hot dogs. My water was warm ...
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The Amazing Gift of Forever Friends
Visit in 2020 Our beloved friends hopped into their car and headed back home to Mississippi. A four-day visit didn't feel sufficient. The time we have together is never long enough. A limitless number of words pass between us. After days of non-stop talking, we ...
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How to Win with Jesus
With Independence Day came a house-work weekend in Wilmington. As I worked, I thought about the craziness in our world and how to shine the light of Jesus in the darkness. Dark times cause us to see the light more clearly. Tom painted and I ...
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Navigating Relationships—Adult Kids and Parents
I didn’t often worry about relationships with my kids when they were young. Mothering was automatic. They needed me in every part of their lives. However, when they set out on their own, I recognized that adaptations were needed. I realized something about myself. I ...
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Dads- Be Your Kids’ Hero
One of my boyhood heroes was Dave Wottle. He was a middle-distance runner from Ohio made famous by his incredible finishing kick and by wearing a tattered white cap when he ran. I can still remember watching him win gold in the 800 meters at ...
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Marriage—Keeping What Matters Most
I overheard a conversation while I waited in a long line for a community event. Harsh accusing voices rose from a husband and wife who disagreed over an issue concerning their child. A bystander abruptly joined the conversation and commented to the mom, "I'm glad ...
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Where We’re Rooted Determines Who We Become
What I love about summers in Columbia, S.C. are the blooming plants; not the temperatures. I recently planted lantana—one of the few things deer don't seem to gobble up. I was careful not to damage the root systems as they went into the ground; knowing ...
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The Irreplaceable Gift of Home
I felt melancholic as I opened the door to the beach house. At first glance everything seemed the same. The ever-lasting pothos plant that some people think is fake, the blue-patterned cover for the bench cushion I sewed thirty years earlier. The still life picture ...
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How to Live in Opposing Worlds
A couple of weeks ago I was overwhelmed with sadness. My recent post about motherhood only scratched the surface of some deeply buried feelings that need more attention from me. https://tranquiliving.com/motherhood-where-joy-and-pain-collide/ With four young children at the time, I was too busy holding it together ...
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Prayers for Eliza Jo on Her Fourth Birthday
Eliza Jo made us grandparents four years ago. As we celebrate her birthday, I celebrate mine as grandmother to Eliza and her two little brothers. How easy it is for the cadence of life to become monotonous and to find I'm accustomed to the miracles ...
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Motherhood—Where Joy and Pain Collide
I decided I wanted to be a mother right after I fell madly in love with Frank in the second grade. I learned from my neighbor that cute little babies show up in your house after you get married. Not before. I never even wondered ...
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