From experience, I know that the old saying that every man is a dog is simply not true, but I have, unfortunately, met men who qualify as curs, mean and cowardly persons, as unfriendly as mongrel dogs. Having been raised only by women, and never having lived in a house with a male and female... Continue Reading →
Costing Less Bestows Equality of Access Across Social Status
I am experiencing what many people fear: needing a doctor in a foreign land where you cannot speak the language. But, praise God, the body is the same wherever you go, so you only have to point to what hurts. Or, as in my case, the doctor could see that I would not move my... Continue Reading →
Decision-Making is an Art
I have made many decisions in my life, and not all of them have been good choices. The decision to adopt my children was made on the spur of the moment, without any input from anyone else, and after 45 years as a mother, I can say that it was one of the best choices... Continue Reading →
A Most Authentic Tourist
We are in Seville, Spain! We arrived here yesterday and will leave tomorrow, going back to our Portugal apartment. Douglas is like a kid in a candy store, with his tourist maps and phone apps, finding all the places he wants to see. Today, we walked for nearly seven hours (I earned nearly 16,000 steps!),... Continue Reading →
Back in the Passenger Seat Again
I am once again a passenger, dependent on someone else to drive me wherever I need to go, mainly for two reasons. First, I cannot drive here because the cars in Portugal that we can afford to rent are manual transmissions. I have no idea how to crank one up, much less drive one. I... Continue Reading →
The Power of a Song to Unite Us
One of the elements of my life that I miss here in Portugal is the choir at my church. I do love the congregational singing at the church we are attending, but, for me, nothing beats the harmony of different voices singing together, united in their joy for the Lord, bringing the whole church to... Continue Reading →
Trying to Outdo God is Pure Froth
Often in life, plans have to change, and though change can be uncomfortable, it is almost always necessary. That is the case for us. The problem with the heat could not be resolved, and the wonderful woman we are renting from agreed to let us cancel our agreement to stay for two months. We will... Continue Reading →
God is Our Safe Space: Psalm Wednesday
We all need a safe space, a place of refuge from the difficulties and challenges of life. It is important to choose a safe space that has the power to strengthen and keep us in times of trouble and upheaval in our lives. In the psalm for this week, Psalm 46, one of the descendants... Continue Reading →
Loneliness Thwarted!
It is Sunday here in beautiful Portimao, Portugal, and Douglas and I have found a church to attend! It is the International Christian Fellowship Church, and it is about a 4-minute ride by car to services. We arrived and were greeted by some wonderful people, all speaking English, for the most part, British English. As... Continue Reading →
A Frigid Lesson: Wish More Carefully
As we walked along the beach, the waves crashed against the rocks, and occasionally the spray would reach to the people's faces as they walked along the quay in front of us. For some reason, I thought that was something good to have happen to me. So, once I managed the courage to step out... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 