When I was in 6th or 7th grade, I realized I was getting bigger and taller than many of the other girls (and even some of the boys). I was so disappointed! I wanted to be cute and petite but was feeling big and awkward. My body was not cooperating!  But since then I’ve accepted the truth: I was meant to be tall with wide shoulders. I’ve been able to appreciate and even enjoy it, most of the time.  Just about every woman I meet wishes she could change one of her physical attributes – height, body structure, eye color or maybe hair texture. At some point, though, we need to acknowledge that God has chosen otherwise for us.  Along with accepting our physical attributes, God asks us to accept His control, reflect His purposes, and be a conduit of His love. That can be a tall order when we realize our weaknesses and selfishness. Altering these attitudes and behaviors can be much more difficult to embrace than even accepting some physical attributes we don’t like! Accept His Co...

Scene 1: It was a pleasant and fairly warm fall day when we settled into the plane and began our flight across country to our new home in Chicago. I was excited about our destination and yet, in the months ahead, I experienced times of soul starvation due to loneliness and adjusting to new conditions (people, weather, culture, jobs). Scene 2: It was a pleasant and fairly warm fall day when we squeezed into our cars and started traveling north to our new home in Oregon. I was excited about our destination and yet, in the months ahead, I experienced times of soul starvation due to similar feelings of loneliness and adjustment. Scene 3: It was a cool day in March when I woke up, ready to see the new flowers that welcome spring in Oregon, and to make that week’s connections with people and needed tasks. But there was something very wrong. The pandemic had exploded and our state was shutting down. I realized I was heading into a time of greater social isolation where I would experience som...