I thought it was a love story with a happy ending. The joy and laughter we shared was so rich every day that I just knew that nothing could stop us from spending our lives together. He declared his love for me each day, something he knew that I needed to defeat my insecurities. Even... Continue Reading →
Premature Assessments Can Do Lifelong Harm
As a professor, I met so many students who had a poor opinion of their abilities to be more than just be average in college because someone had told them early in their lives that they were not smart, capable, or good enough to be successful. These are what I call premature assessments, decisions made... Continue Reading →
Being a Rebel is Great Fun!
I did not follow the script that was meant for women my age, mainly because I have never thought that we all must look and act the same. The expectations of others for the roles we are supposed to play limit us, even as failing to meet the expectations of others tend to liberate us... Continue Reading →
The Time to Go Home is Rapidly Approaching
In a church service here in Portugal, we heard a wonderful sermon on heaven being the real home for Christians, not earth. The pastor preached on how to ensure your eternal home in heaven. He cautioned us that the time to go "Home" is fast approaching, as the signs of the times indicate from Biblical... Continue Reading →
In the Beauty of God’s Holiness: Travel Photos from Portugal
On Friday, we went to Faro, which is the main city in the part of the Algarve of Portugal where we are. Because it has an airport, train station, a huge bus terminal, and a marina, the city is big, compared to the little city we are staying in. The diversity of people was greater,... 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 →
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 →
Don’t Let Others Deplete Your Joy
We have moved to the beautiful city of Quarteira in Portugal, with its wonderful beaches and colorful houses and apartment buildings. We met our host's parents, and it was one of the highlights of this visit. His mother could not speak any English, but she managed to show me all that I needed to know... Continue Reading →
When the Shoe is on the Other Foot
It is hard to really understand the lives of other people, unless you can walk in their shoes. For years, the lives of immigrants to America have not really interested me, mainly because I assumed that moving to an unfamiliar place is no big deal, with basically every place the same. I never thought about... 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 →
