Small Stories of a Big God
Learning to Love and to Waltz
Love on another. It’s a simple principle but it never came easy for me. My mom raised us all to suspect everyone’s motives and that most people were too stupid to bother with, and my father used to say “It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there,” which sounded funny to me...
Power of Forgiveness
Last Friday night, “The Power of Forgiveness” was held at my church. The flyer said it would be an unforgettable event and it surpassed that for me. I have to start by saying that this whole idea started on 9/11/11. We watched a video at church about a young man who...
Hope For the Busiest Day Ever
On a clear winter morning, the sunrise over the bogs in Hyannis can be spectacular. The navy sky fades to cobalt then a prism of violet to orange and if there’s some scattered clouds around it can look other-worldly. This takes the edge off of getting up for work when...
Love Bears All Things
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 NKJV Sometimes I still reach for the phone, that mysterious mother-daughter bond still intact, though now more like phantom pain. Connected but not connected, the...
Having a Heart of Praise
The pond was beautiful this morning. The woods looked as if God had sifted confectioner’s sugar over the trees and it was cold enough to hold the dusting of snow in place, making the path a distinct white trail. My thoughts drifted upward and my heart was soon filled...
Christmas Reflections
I loved Pawtucket at Christmas. There was something so sweet and sad about the garish Christmas decorations strung across dirty front porches and sagging balconies. The gray city seemed to come alive with blinking color, all inhibition set aside, like a sudden burst of hope.
One Holy Night
A tired religious leader who admits his faith has dimmed, a young radical who takes out his rage and bitterness towards his own circumstances on the ruling party, a defeated young couple blaming their poverty on a system they feel trapped in, a group of working class...
And Wonders of His Love
I did not even think of the three hooks set into the trim of the staircase in the living room until that December. Now, as I passed by them daily, or sat on the couch staring numbly at the Christmas lights on the tree, my eyes invariably turned to the three hooks....
God With Us
I don’t watch the news. Nor do I listen to it or read it. I know. You’re saying,”How do you know what’s going on in the world?” I don’t. But who really does? Most of what the media tosses out there is untrue, whether by omission, ignorance or deception. And nearly all...
Giving Thanks
I will always remember a Thanksgiving in Pawtucket, about six years ago. In my memory I see a tray of Italian pastries and the beautiful dark eyes of five Puerto Rican children; eyes that had already seen too much in life but could still hold wonder and joy for small...
G.O.M. (Grumpy Old Men)
I love Grumpy Old Men. Maybe it’s because if my dad was alive, he would be one. He died at my age, which was 30 years ago and he was a WWII Navy vet, submarines in particular. I was a little girl surrounded by brothers that had to spend part of every vacation touring...
American Ajima
I want to be an Ajima. Technically, or biologically, it’s impossible. Ajimas are Korean. But since my visit to South Korea two years ago, where I saw my first Ajima, I’ve pondered how to introduce this cultural phenomenon to America. “Ajima”, my son Miles explained to...
Flying Again
When my son Jake was little, a bath towel and a safety pin transformed him instantly into Batman or sometimes Spiderman, depending on who was trendy at the time. He was sure he could soar through the air, or at least jump from rooftop to rooftop. Or so he thought....
the Brothers Gulian
If you were a fly on the wall, or even a neighbor with their window open, the most noticeable sound you would hear if my brothers and I were together anywhere would be laughter. It would be loud at times, even raucous, and distinctive, coined “the Gulian laugh” by...
A Different Time in the Same Place
Every anniversary my husband, C.B., and I have made a good practice of going away for an overnight stay. From Cape Cod you can only go north or west, unless you take a boat or plane. In fact last year we went south to Nantucket by boat, ended up stranded by high winds...
The Road Paved With Grace
My friend Terri is dying. She knows this and is facing it head on. She told me she is only being practical but I see her as being courageous. As the cancer that silently crept into her body began to grow and take over, the doctors that had given her five years in July...
Who’s Waiting on Who?
“My soul, wait quietly for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” Psalms 62:5 NKJV It’s only in recent years that I can say I’ve gained a desire to “wait on the Lord.” For one, I’m not a very patient person at my core so that I would want to wait...
Rosie the Rescue Dog
My dog Rosie and I started our walks around Hathaway Pond this week. We are banned from May 15th through September 15th. Well, I’m not, but I get bored quickly if I walk alone. She will be ten on New Year’s Day so she’s hobbling a bit and getting white around her...
Then Jesus, moved with compassion
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed. —Mark 1:41 NKJV Are you old enough to remember AT&T’s ad campaign, “Reach out and touch someone”? A modern version would be “reach out and...
Hot Apple Cider and Skunks
In my part of the world, the leaves are turning their bellies to the sky and withering. Hurricane Irene blasted salt air against the trees a few weeks ago, causing a premature fall. The crickets’ song fades as their numbers drop. Birds and squirrels flit about in the...
Where’s Your Princess?
I grew up surrounded by three brothers, GI Joes and machine-gun spray, which was mostly spit. I learned to belch, whittle and I know what a half-nelson is. Then I went on to raise three of my own boys, admittedly more secure in their boy-world than my own vague...
In Our Hospital Johnnies
I’m a nurse and I’ve spent most of my career in hospitals. It skews my perspective because sometimes I feel the whole world is sick or dying. I’ve spent countless hours just listening as people pour out their frustration, shock and disbelief. We know we are mortal...
Check the Fridge
If you want to know what’s close to my heart, check my fridge. Not the inside, the outside. It’s covered with magnets from places I have traveled, photos of friends afar, a picture of me and my mom and some funny sayings I’ve found and captured using the magnets. What...
Beauty for Ashes Productions
Beauty for Ashes Productions presents “Divine Make-Over" is a production that was conceived in 2010 by women and for women. Read more… If you would like more info or are interested in sponsoring this production at your event please contact me. [video width="720"...