As I write, a snuggly Ewok from Star Wars, and a bookish Belle fresh from her dance with the Beast, and Winnie the Pooh’s mopey friend Eeyore are getting ready for a stroll through the neighborhood in search of candy. Sound familiar? Every year we send our children out like beggars vying for sweets to pack in their lunches. When I was a child, my brothers and I competed with each other, not for th...  Read More

I am a planner… most would call me Type-A, and not always as a compliment. I concentrate on the details, believing that success, and often beauty, is found in the details. Imagine what happened in my mind when our daughter and now son-in-law announced their engagement… a list immediately formed. This wedding would be one year in the planning, but a lifetime in the dreaming. This occasion would dra...  Read More

We picture the scene of Jesus surrounded by little ones, some cradled in his lap. The disciples want to dismiss the children as interruptions, but Jesus insists that they are ‘precious in his sight.’ That’s the ‘what a friend we have in Jesus’ image we all love. We want to imagine that we, too, are among the little ones he welcomes. Now picture the scenes that have flashed across our TVs and inter...  Read More

Before sunrise on Saturday, terror from land, sea and sky rained down on Israel. This surprise attack happened at the end of the seven-day Jewish celebration of Sukkoth that commemorates God’s protection of Israel as they fled slavery in Egypt 3000 years ago. Families were gathered to enjoy the holiday when air raid sirens sounded to warn of an attack. As 1000s of missiles were launched into Isra...  Read More

I witnessed a miracle on Saturday… a miracle I have dreamed about for years. I have witnessed this miracle again and again, for the last 40 years. Yet, to stand in the chancel of All Saints Church as both mother and pastor, I was overwhelmed with God’s gift. Many marvel at Jesus’ first miracle in turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana, but that miracle pales in comparison to the union of h...  Read More

Greetings from sunny southern California! I have spent the last two days enjoying all things Disney… well, maybe not the roller coasters… but so much more... The Bells know how to make the most of a Disney adventure! I know you thought I was in California for our daughter’s wedding. But first we plan to experience some of what our daughter loves about her new home. We will hike the mountains, expl...  Read More