Words of Hope: Pure Joy

The book of James says, "Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter trials of various kinds." Some translations say to consider trials, "pure" joy. I see life in pictures therefore when I imagine pure joy—I tend to...

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Words of Hope: Weather Man

Dad would say, "Imagine an elevator. Most of us have moods and emotions which take us up and down the elevator. But some people get off and live on certain floors. Some people, no matter what happens in their...

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Words of Hope: The Book of Peace

Shann had his first dream of my Dad last week. He had been wondering when he would have one. He woke up and told me, “Your Dad came to visit me in my sleep last night.” I immediately started...

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Words of Hope: Beauty over Utility

I have never loved flowers as a gift. They have always seemed to be an extravagance. I would rather Shann buy me a vacuum or a pair of shoes, something durable and useful. Dad rarely gave flowers when I...

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Words of Hope: Eternal Life

Last spring, I read Dad and Mom a beautiful short story from Anthony Doer’s book, Memory Wall. The story tells of a young girl who loses her family and must move from Kansas to a former Eastern Bloc country to...

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Words of Hope: Too Soon

I spoke to one of Dad's lifelong friends from California. They expressed sorrow because they did not get to say goodbye in person to Dad. My dear friend from Hawaii said the same thing. I felt very sad myself....

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Words of Hope: True Self vs. False Self

One of my daily devotionals gives short segments from the writings of Henri Nouwen, a beautiful Christian author. He wrote many moving books, including Return of the Prodigal. One of my favorites is, You are the Beloved. Nouwen talks about the...

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Words of Hope: Disagreement without Discord

One skill I am incredibly grateful for in my Dad is the peace he had to navigate difficult topics with wisdom and care. My Dad welcomed any topic in the home for Jay and me. As long as the...

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Words of Hope: Oyster Mouth

Dad and I both struggle with our mouths sometimes. Dad said things he should not say. I would get so frustrated with him when he would do this. Now, I have the same struggle at times but in different...

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Words of Hope: MLK

A woman named Luska is one of NBC’s bright stars. She is brilliant and has an incredibly powerful mind. Since we first met more than 30 years ago, we have called each other sisters and worked hard to give...

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