The Bright Side

It was the late 1970s, I was 21 years old and a newly licensed real estate agent.  My very first listing was a home that was owned by Christians. These Christians were not like most church going people I knew, they prayed, they talked about Jesus, their home was full of Bible quotes, they homeschooled […]

In 1981, we married in the small chapel at Sharpstown’s Gethsemane Methodist Church, in Houston. My childhood pastor and family friend, Rev. Keith Kellow, officiated.  A few friends and family were in attendance. I remember it was a very stormy night, but the storm passed by the end of our ceremony.  Ken was a single […]

“Keep your “antennae” out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My Presence” ~ Jesus Calling  Heading out this morning a single doe crossed the road in front of my car and leaped over the fence. She was breathtaking as she easily cleared the fence.  I thought about the hinds feet mentioned in Habakkuk […]

My childhood subdivision was called Shenandoah.  Brand new brick homes, fenced backyards, concrete streets and streetlights, located in southwest Houston. Houston was a big small town in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. My brother and sister were already in elementary school, so to fill my days, I would ride my bike and go exploring. […]

Not wanting to be late (again) for our monthly lunch date with friends, I was hurried to get out the door.  About a mile from our house, the accuser of the brethren whispered in my ear, “You didn’t unplug your curling irons, the house is going to burn down”.  I started replaying my morning routine […]

Over 25 years ago, at the request of a dear friend, I sang Via Dolorosa at the funeral of her husband.  I don’t speak Spanish, but I sang the song in English and Spanish.  Everyone in the room was bilingual or Spanish speaking only, the family was large, the couple had 10 grown children. I […]

My grandparents had a goal to live long enough to attend the graduation ceremonies of their grandkids. They were brilliant and savvy business owners, after grade school they went straight to work.   Their grandkids receiving high school diplomas was their hope and dream.  I remember seeing “Mom and Pop“ sitting in the back of […]

Commandment #5 of the 10 Commandments says we are to honor our father and mother, a commandment with a beautiful promise of long life and for things to go well in the land God has given us.  My parents are both in Heaven now, when they were alive I struggled with how to fulfill this […]

Barney, the Wonder Dog has one job, one calling, one passion … to love me and protect me.   He is not a dog that enjoys car rides, his world begins and ends within the perimeter fence of our ranch.  I believe Barney remembers that he was dumped from a car or truck on our red […]

Barney, the Wonder Dog, starts his day when his breakfast is ready, but he will not eat without a tiny appetizer to wet his palate. He needs a few seconds for the food flavor to register in his brain … then, as he puts it, “I could eat”.  He and BeBe go on a nature […]

Occasionally my husband suggests getting a RV and taking road trips around the country. He tries to sweeten the pot by saying we can bring the pets.  BeBe would love it, the Wonder Dog is 100% a home body, his life begins and ends on our ranch.  Ken thinks I have forgotten the first time […]

There are priceless treasures in my home, small reminders of love and friendship, purposely placed in strategic rooms, on walls and on the shelves that hold my very favorite things.   These tokens of love continue to bring joy and a smile on every remembrance of the person that thoughtfully blessed me.   At an estate sale, […]

My grandmother loved me with her time and loving interest in my life. I remember the ways she showed me her love … In 1973, my graduation ceremony was held in the now razed Houston Coliseum. My class was big, over 500 students. My grandparents had a goal to live long enough to attend the […]

As I enjoy my 69th trip around the sun … this is what I have learned so far, except for #1, the remaining thoughts are in random order.  1. Only Jesus is Perfect. 2. Some people love you “no matter what” and some people will never love you, “no matter what”.  Love generously, and forgive […]

A dear saint went home to be with the Lord a few years back, he had a profound impact on my life. I met Bennie in the 1980’s, I was in my early 30’s, he was a retired older man, the building superintendent at our church.  Brother Bennie would catch me in the hallway and […]

Growing up, we had family friends that we called Granny and PawPaw.  PawPaw was my father’s mentor, he poured a lifetime of oilfield wisdom into my young father, his guidance helped catapult my dad into a career as a respected, successful oilman. PawPaw retired and bought a Bait and Tackle Shop on Lake O The […]

In September of 2010, I drove up our long driveway and there he was…a skinny, scared white dog.  I was drawn like a magnet to this beautiful animal.  He allowed me get close to him, one eye was blue, the other was brown, he looked like a young dog, but every bone on his frame […]

I am fearfully and wonderfully made! I admire those that do not struggle with daily devoting time for prayer and Bible study. The rewards are amazing … fellowship with the Creator, wisdom imparted, prayers heard, prayers answered.  It’s a beautiful act of love, obedience and discipline.  I admire those that do not struggle to find […]

My testimony of salvation: Jesus in the Concrete Jungle… If you ever wonder how souls in the jungles of Africa will ever hear the Good News about Jesus, I promise you, God finds a way to save the lost.   I didn’t know Jesus or the Bible, totally lost In the concrete jungle of Houston, and […]

I clearly heard the Voice of God when I was a little girl, He said, “you are special, like Mary was special”.  I didn’t tell anyone what I heard, how could I be similar to the Mother of Jesus? I didn’t understand, but I knew God spoke those words to me. Decades later, while sitting in […]

To help the wild honeybees in my area, I built a watering station. The station has flowering plants and a bird bath filled with pebbles, rocks and sugar water.  After a rain, I pour off the excess water, but sometimes a few bees don’t leave in time and they sadly drown at the station.  After […]

After a long fun day, we got back to the ranch after dark, but we were not met by our tail wagging welcoming committee. My heart skipped a beat … where were BeBe and Barney, the Wonder Dog??? I hollered,  BeBe finally came, alone. Thinking Barney was slower, I prayed to see his white fur […]

When my grandmother, “Mom”, was living in a nursing home in Angleton, I would take appraisal work in that town and mix business with a visit. Mom had become a little old lady, tiny steps, slumped back, white support stockings. She sat in her chair, watched her TV programs, complained about her health, complained about […]

We were on a double dinner date and this question was posed: At your current age, what advice would you give your 21 year old self?  Thought provoking, I had nothing … my answer was a word salad, I sounded as articulate as Kamala Harris.  After some thought and a good night sleep, this is […]

How to live happily ever after… according to me. 😉 #1: Only marry a man that loves you more than you love him. A man that pursues you, a man that can’t wait to make you his wife. A man that believes he is marrying up and that he got the very best when you said […]

In the late 1950’s I spent as much of the summer with my grandmother as my mother would allow. My grandmother owned The Star Cafe in Angleton, Texas, everyone in town called her “Mom”, and so did I. The cafe opened early for Dow shift workers and stayed opened late for those wanting a big […]

When I was 50ish, my Dad decided I was mature enough to have my beloved Grandmother’s diamond ring.  The ring had been kept in a dark, safety deposit box for many decades.  Dad moved it to his home-safe when she passed away.  I had never seen the ring. She never wore it, she kept it […]

It’s been said that when a parent attends the funeral of their child, it is one of the greatest tragedies of life.  I have never heard of a formal name to call a surviving parent, like orphan, widow or widower … but in my small circle of friends, family and acquaintances, there are more than […]

In 2015, my Dad was in a nursing home, on hospice.  On my daily “Dad” visits, I also visited with the Alzheimer’s patient in the room next door.  She was confused, delusional, very angry and hurting from a leg injury that made her immobile.  This precious soul shared that her husband was a retired Assembly […]

This is a story about a broken road, a road that eventually lead me to: love, peace, patience and the joy that I had always desired to have in my heart. My Dad worked hard. He worked in the oilfield, he worked 24/7, his home was the rig. It was never really comfortable for him […]

Back stories intrigue me. How did the dots connect? How did the timing happen? How did the doors of opportunity open? How did all things work together for the good? There was a Christmas luncheon, an annual event I look forward to every December. After a gourmet meal, our hostess, my dear friend Sondra, has […]