Walking along the boardwalk listening to people talk, I am amazed at the numbers of languages spoken here in Portugal. I am just nosy enough to want to know what everyone is saying, and whether they are words of joy, love, fear, or anger. What is comforting for me is that until people start to... Continue Reading →
For weeks, the
Life can become frightening in the blink of an eye! One evening after work, I went to the store to buy some things for the children's breakfast, namely milk and orange juice. At that time, I did not know how to drive, so I had to take the bus everywhere. I had never had a... Continue Reading →
One of the first sermons I ever heard was titled, "How Big is Your God?" I must have been in my early teens then, and I thought the question was strange, because it seemed to suggest that there were different gods and that they varied in sizes and, I guessed, in the power to help... Continue Reading →
Using the definition of talisman as anything whose presence (and by extension, lack of presence) exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings and actions, I believe that love, by its presence or its absence, is the greatest talisman. This is why it so important that children learn that their parents love them. When... Continue Reading →
To compare oneself to someone else is a recipe for unhappiness and anxiety. One of my fellow Sunday School teachers refers to this behavior as "compare-tinitis." It is like an illness that invades the mind and the spirit, and the only cure is to come to see that not being identical to anyone else makes... Continue Reading →
As a child, I loved the peace and quiet of being alone. Having been told that I would never have children of my own, I expected to spend my adult life in that blissful silence. But God had other plans for my life, for so much of it has been spent surrounded by the noise... Continue Reading →
Growing up, I never lived in a house that had a pet in it. Occasionally, I would feed a stray dog or cat, but then Mama would remind me that if you started feeding them, they would never leave, and we just could not afford another mouth to feed. My best friend's family always had... Continue Reading →
I am always amazed at the huge capacity of some people to feel pity, sympathy, and concern for the misfortunes and sufferings of others. They possess what I call "compassionate hearts." If you have ever been bullied or harassed, then you may understand better what I mean by the term. Remember that person who stood... Continue Reading →
Being alone for me was a defense mechanism, a means by which to avoid the conflict and anxiety of being bullied. Mama and I shared a three-room apartment, with a living room, bedroom, and a kitchen. For Mama, the living room was her sanctuary, bedroom, and bar, a place where she drank alone and often.... Continue Reading →
