Paul Sweeney
“A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.”
Anniversary in San Francisco
Rick and I were married on December 21, 1969. It rained all day and then cleared for the evening candle-light ceremony at a small New England style church in our hometown. I am still amazed at how many family members and friends came, considering the time of year. Who in their right mind plans a …
O Holy Night
Long lay the world in sin and error pining Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. Hymn – O Holy Night
Nelson Mandela
I admired Nelson Mandela. He could have come out of prison embittered and ready to fan the flames of civil war and bloodshed. Instead, he sought to unite the citizens of South Africa and build a nation that would be a beacon to others. He didn’t go after retribution but reconciliation, and thus inspired hope …
Living in the time of Judges
Since my awakening that human trafficking is going on in our area and across our nation, I’ve become more sensitive to articles appearing in our newspaper. In the world section, I read a story on sex workers in France protesting a proposal to penalize clients caught in the act of soliciting a prostitute. The few …
Good Things
What are the “good things” Jesus talks about in Matthew 7:7-11? All good gifts come from the Father. For a long time, I thought that meant a husband, children, a nice home, a good car, savings, travel, things. As wonderful as all those blessings are, as much as we enjoyed them, there remains a yearning …
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a wonderful celebration for those of us who have family. It’s a time to get together and share a big dinner and much laughter. But it is something far different for those who have no home or family. It can become a time of deep depression, a time of pain or longing. Some …
Giving
“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” Mother Teresa “Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” Ben Carson
Gearing up for Christmas
While I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving, the local stores yanked their Halloween decorations on November 1 and started putting up lights, Christmas trees, and wreaths. Santa is still in storage, but workers are busy unpacking him. Soon there will be a minature train in the mall with Santa waiting for children to sit on his …
St. Paul – in a letter to the Romans (8:38-39)
“I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”