...a word from Kathy

St. James Episcopal Church, Florence Italy " M ama, do you love me more or Nick more?  Oh, honey I love you both the same!  Yes, but Nick gets in trouble, disobeys you, acts out and doesn't play with me!  Surely you love me more." Have you had a similar conversation in your house?  Have your children ever asked you to choose?  Surely I'm not the only parent who has experienced this inquisition by a youngster. Maybe we search our whole lives to be the 'chosen one', the child loved most in the family.  We all desire that special spot. With Jesus, was it Mary he loved the most?  Was it Peter?  Or was it Judas? This Easter we attended St. James Episcopal Church in Florence, Italy.  We were enthralled by the space and then by the people who attended.  Multiple countries were represented: Switzerland, Nigeria, England, South Africa, Italy and the US.   During worship we heard behind us the most amazing voice loudly singing, ...

A s I sit in the Piazza della Repubblica,  I am distracted.  We're visiting Florence, Italy this week which is endless in its beauty.  This place is also endless in grand masterpieces and grand cathedrals that point to the Glory of God.  Centuries old architecture, frescos, paintings and sculptures all celebrating the news of God's nearness to us.  But even in this enormous center of Christian culture, I'm distracted. At this very moment, this is what I see: a woman taking selfies; a couple kissing in the middle of the piazza; a guy riding his bike home from work; tourists congregating; a mom and daughter, holding hands and scurrying; a couple an infant and with a baby stroller; a horse drawn carriage tour; and on and on... I wondered to myself about this distraction and why I couldn't get my mind together to write. So, I thought about what Jesus was doing on the week before the first Easter.  Do you know?  I didn't! We know about Palm ...

M ary and Martha knew their brother was dying.  They were in shock, dismay, fear and probably felt helpless.  They sent word to their friend, Jesus.  But their brother died.  And then, Jesus arrived in his time.  He wept for his friend, Lazarus.  He loved the sisters, Mary and Martha.  And he taught us about death and life through Lazarus.  For Jesus restored life to Lazarus and he unbound him. My last weeks have involved loss, tears, and anguish as my sister lost her best friend, her husband of 41 years, the love of her life.  Richard L. Lovelace was sick for only two weeks and then he was gone.  The process of losing a loved one is extreme in every sense of the word and is also forever. I've thought a lot about life and death in the last few weeks as death came so close.  Here are a few things I've learned from Richard and Lazarus...and Jesus. 1.  Life happens and death happens... 2.  ...And they occur without...

T he last remnants of Christmas in my house are the dying poinsettia plants.  You must admit they look bedraggled at best.  It's time to toss them, so I guess Christmas is officially over.  I know what you're thinking....uh...yes, Christmas has BEEN over as it's the middle of January!!  But in my defense, you have to admit that there is quite the build-up to Christmas so can't I have a month on the back side to keep celebrating?  So what, that my poinsettias are dying! There are stories of post-Christmas celebrations.  Let's look at Simeon from the book of Luke. In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law,   Simeo...

Cross-posted from a dventagain.blogspot.com O ur precious grandson, Owen visited recently and I have so many memories stored in my heart.  I remember the days we made crafts, made pie crusts and Christmas cookies.  I remember his little feet pattering throughout my house.  I remember his little questions.  I especially remember words he spoke...love you, PapaRay, Kaki...and one more,  help .  As he would try to unlock or unwrap or open something, after the struggle he would say...help, help.  And we would jump in to help.  How could we resist such preciousness! This simple word reminded me of my childlike needs and my cries for help. "Mama, help me iron, Mama, can you sew on this button?, Mama, help me cook, Mama, help me get to school, Mama, help me understand my new baby, Mama, just help me." Children have no reluctance in asking for help.  In their lives, they have come to understand that they need a helper, a hero...someone to come...

Cross-posted from Adventagain.blogspot.com T rue confession...my list of to-dos has become the boss of my days.  Nary a present is under my Christmas tree!  In fact, we just put up our Christmas tree this week and currently it stands barren!  My house is a wreck and people are coming.  I have so much on my mind I can hardly keep my mind on track.  My brain is like an old radio station that can't quite tune in...full of static and faint sounds of music.  I'm joyful in this season but there is just too much brain buzz going on.  To sit in silence and try to have a reflective thought is ridiculously hard.  I cannot hear anything but the static we call the holidays.  Can I please put on headphones to block it all out?  I really do want to focus on the real meaning of Christmas.  I want to hear the Good News of a Savior's birth.  I want to realize the significance of His birth in my life today.  I want to hear the Savior's...

Cross-posted from AdventAgain.blogspot.com A re we there yet?  How many more days until Christmas, Mama?  When can I open a present?  How much longer?  Waiting...is...hard...for those waiting...and for those who hear the questions!  We're living in the season of waiting today.  We know a big event is coming, we're preparing, we're excited and we're hoping for celebration and unlimited joy. But even as we wait for tomorrow and the joy of Christmas, we know that today life is hard. It's hard to find all the money we need, patience we need, cooking skills required, time we need.  It's also hard because real life continues.  The demands of work, the death of a loved one, the child in the hospital, the child in addiction, the disappointment of being looked-over for promotion, the illness of a spouse, the loss of a job.  Real life doesn't stop happening just because we're waiting on Christmas.  In fact, this particular month may be harder...