Learning to Love Olivia (2024)

06/08/2024

https://familyfire.com/articles/forgiving-our-parents-failures

Our parents will fail us at times. Will you forgive them for the hurt they have caused in your life? Trust God for wisdom and strength to heal the past.

25/07/2024

Many songs have been written about going to heaven. When the Roll is Called up Yonder, written by Milton Black in 1893, proclaims, “When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” Three years later he is credited with producing the music for Katharine Purvis’ lyrics to When the Saints Are Marching In. But no writer has been credited for the well-known tune…...

Many songs have been written about going to heaven. When the Roll is Called up Yonder, written by Milton Black in 1893, proclaims, “When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” Three years l…

11/07/2024

After having read, written, or revised hundreds of résumés over the years, I find that they remind me of the behavior checklist on our report cards back in the day. “Works and plays well with others” seems to have been a major item on the checklist. Teachers likely wished there was an option to check “stays in her seat as directed,”...

After having read, written, or revised hundreds of résumés over the years, I find that they remind me of the behavior checklist on our report cards back in the day. “Works and plays well with other…

27/06/2024

Children can be taught lessons in giving. Please click on the link to read my most recent article in the online magazine, Family Fire, at

How can we help children to understand giving and generosity? In sharing the story of the Little Drummer Boy, we see how God smiles when we use our gifts.

13/06/2024

We hope our loved ones will always be healthy. But there are some things to consider if we ever have to become a caregiver. Follow the link for my recent post on Family Fire:

30/05/2024

Since I am spatially challenged, getting lost is sometimes a way of life for me. My poor sense of direction means that if GPS sends me through a roundabout, it is quite likely that I will be going in circles for a while. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, “Roundabouts are designed for lower-speed driving with all traffic moving in the same direction, eliminating left turns across traffic and creating fewer stress points that can cause crashes.”...

Since I am spatially challenged, getting lost is sometimes a way of life for me. My poor sense of direction means that if GPS sends me through a roundabout, it is quite likely that I will be going …

09/05/2024

A few weeks ago, I began checking the internet for dog deterrents. My husband and I have to go past a huge dog when we are out walking. It barks ferociously whenever we get near his master’s driveway and charges at us. His chain pulls him back, but I am afraid the dog may snap the chain and see us as dinner....

A few weeks ago, I began checking the internet for dog deterrents. My husband and I have to go past a huge dog when we are out walking. It barks ferociously whenever w…

05/04/2024

When God tells you to do something, whose strength are you supposed to rely on – yours, God’s, or both? A chapter in the Old Testament book of Judges may help us with the answer. Read Judges 6:1-10 to find out the terrible condition God’s people were in because of their disobedience. The Midianites were oppressing them and destroying everything they had....

When God tells you to do something, whose strength are you supposed to rely on – yours, God’s, or both? A chapter in the Old Testament book of Judges may help us with the answer. Read Judges 6:1-10…

20/03/2024

Precious Death Two days before my sister-in-law Shirley Ann Perry went home to be with the Lord, I wrote the following journal entry. She had been married to my brother Byron for fifty-four years, so she was intricately woven into our lives for over half a century and had become a sister-in-love. The loss had a major impact on our family....

Precious Death Two days before my sister-in-law Shirley Ann Perry went home to be with the Lord, I wrote the following journal entry. She had been married to my brother Byron for fifty-four years, …

22/02/2024

A message in large aqua-colored font grabbed my attention when I opened the letter from the phone company. It stated: WE’LL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING ORDERS FOR (OUR) PHONE SERVICE IN YOUR AREA. The letter went on to say that I could continue using the home phone services I currently have, but after a given date, I couldn’t make any changes other than to cancel the service....

A message in large aqua-colored font grabbed my attention when I opened the letter from the phone company. It stated: WE’LL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING ORDERS FOR (OUR) PHONE SERVICE IN YOUR AREA. The l…

08/02/2024

Now and then I set up the card table and spread out the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Research shows that working on puzzles strengthens your brain’s capacity in many ways. Right now, I’m helping my brain with another 1000-piece puzzle. But sometimes just looking at all the pieces is daunting. I ask myself how I will ever find the right pieces for the right spot....

Now and then I set up the card table and spread out the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Research shows that working on puzzles strengthens your brain’s capacity in many ways. Right now, I’m helping my b…

25/01/2024

We used to laugh when our grandmother said, “All my kids are on Medicare!” Now, I look around at my six other siblings and realize our mother would have almost said the same thing by now. With the exception of the youngest brother, we have all been Medicare club members for some time. And the youngest only has a few more years before becoming a bonified card carrier in this exclusive club....

We used to laugh when our grandmother said, “All my kids are on Medicare!” Now, I look around at my six other siblings and realize our mother would have almost said the same thing by now. With the …

11/01/2024

Many people may breathe a sigh of relief that another year has begun. Some try to forget everything negative that happened to them in the previous year. Then they put all their hopes and dreams in the new year expecting everything to be different. Maybe it will; maybe it won’t. But 12 months from now, will we be repeating the same process with no real change or growth having taken place?...

Many people may breathe a sigh of relief that another year has begun. Some try to forget everything negative that happened to them in the previous year. Then they put all their hopes and dreams in …

29/12/2023

As the Christmas season ends for another year, hopefully, you took time to reflect on the true reason for the holiday. The biblical account of the birth of Christ in Luke chapter one gives us insight into the lives of two women who experience the impossible. Elizabeth, a barren woman well past her childbearing years became pregnant. And her much younger relative, the Virgin Mary, was chosen for the immaculate conception....

As the Christmas season ends for another year, hopefully, you took time to reflect on the true reason for the holiday. The biblical account of the birth of Christ in Luke chapter one gives us insig…

14/12/2023

At some point, you may have seen or worn the bracelet with the letters WWJD on it. The letters stand for “What Would Jesus Do?” You might even still have one someplace. According to Wikipedia, a youth group leader in Michigan started the WWJD movement in the 1990s to give teens a visual reminder that they were to consider what Jesus would do in any given situation....

At some point, you may have seen or worn the bracelet with the letters WWJD on it. The letters stand for “What Would Jesus Do?” You might even still have one someplace. According to Wikipedia, a yo…

07/12/2023

Any type of surgery is serious. But heart surgery is the scariest because it is an intricately amazing procedure on the most important organ in your body. Last year my brother-in-law Mac was scheduled for open heart surgery to repair an aneurysm. It was to include a double bypass and the possible repair of a heart valve. Thankfully, the surgery went well....

Any type of surgery is serious. But heart surgery is the scariest because it is an intricately amazing procedure on the most important organ in your body. Last year my brother-in-law Mac was schedu…

30/11/2023

Hosting extended family dinners for the holiday is a joy. I love to cook; however, preparing for a big dinner includes fixing up the house too. I usually start to deep clean about a month or two before the celebration. How is it that we live comfortably with dust and cobwebs until we know company is coming? Some of the furniture starts to look a little shabby, and we wonder why we haven’t cleaned the windows in a while....

Hosting extended family dinners for the holiday is a joy. I love to cook; however, preparing for a big dinner includes fixing up the house too. I usually start to deep clean about a month or two be…

15/11/2023

As we get older, we seem to need more medical attention. Over the past few years, our household has used Immediate Care services for emergencies such as a broken toe, poison ivy, respiratory issues, earaches, unexplained pain, or damaged joints. The convenience of Immediate Care is that you can either walk-in or make an appointment to see a doctor in less than 24 hours....

As we get older, we seem to need more medical attention. Over the past few years, our household has used Immediate Care services for emergencies such as a broken toe, poison ivy, respiratory issues…

02/11/2023

When I have helped college students polish up their resumés, I wonder what the prospective employers will think about their work history. Since most new graduates don’t have extensive work experience in the same area as their majors, resumé readers have to read between the lines. Rather than wonder how warehouse work or other physical labor are connected to a student’s professional field, one has to consider the potential the resumé shows....

When I have helped college students polish up their resumés, I wonder what the prospective employers will think about their work history. Since most new graduates don’t have extensive work experien…

26/10/2023

One of life’s mishaps that is a true pain in the neck is having a clogged kitchen sink. When this happened recently, my husband and I tried using an auger, a plunger, hot water, a drain cleaner, and anything we thought would work. My son suggested using a stronger drain cleaner that was guaranteed to remove the blockage. Even after using it at various intervals throughout the day and then overnight, there was very little progress....

One of life’s mishaps that is a true pain in the neck is having a clogged kitchen sink. When this happened recently, my husband and I tried using an auger, a plunger, hot water, a drain cleaner, an…

19/10/2023

Marketers encourage us to buy things for ourselves because we deserve to have them. And we believe it. We tell ourselves how hard we’ve worked, or how much we’ve done for others. This helps us justify doing a little something-something for ourselves. Yet, not everyone can afford to do that. Consider the events over the past few years that have brought to light how some of us live with a sense of privilege....

Marketers encourage us to buy things for ourselves because we deserve to have them. And we believe it. We tell ourselves how hard we’ve worked, or how much we’ve done for others. This helps us just…

11/10/2023

When I taught at a private Christian high school, our entire student body was fewer than 15 students, so classes were small. My teenage son, Malcolm, was a reluctant student in my English class. One day as I asked the students to pass in their homework assignments, my son said he had not done his. I asked him why, and with a straight face, he said, “I didn’t understand how to do it.” My retort was, “Why didn’t you ask your Mama?” Of course, we had a conversation later at home; and I let him know he had better not pull that stunt again....

When I taught at a private Christian high school, our entire student body was fewer than 15 students, so classes were small. My teenage son, Malcolm, was a reluctant student in my English class. On…

27/09/2023

https://familyfire.com/articles/how-can-i-guide-my-grandchildren-to-faith

Are you wondering how you can play a role in the faith formation of your grandchildren? Consider how you can come alongside and model a Christlike example.

21/09/2023

I have been told that the older I get the more I look like my mother, especially when I have on a hat. But I’m not the only one. My sister’s husband told her one day, “Honey, you are Blanching up!” That meant she was starting to look more like our mother, whose middle name was Blanche. Sometimes, the similarity is in the outward appearance....

I have been told that the older I get the more I look like my mother, especially when I have on a hat. But I’m not the only one. My sister’s husband told her one day, “Honey, you are Blanching up!”…

15/09/2023

My youngest brother Jason taught me how to drive a stick in preparation for a road trip from Illinois to California. After I had learned the basics, he told me to practice. I did some, but not nearly as much as I needed to. Maybe I thought he was going to do most of the driving or that it couldn’t really be that hard....

My youngest brother Jason taught me how to drive a stick in preparation for a road trip from Illinois to California. After I had learned the basics, he told me to practice. I did some, but not near…

08/09/2023

The many years I worked for a non-profit, religious organization were a financial walk of faith. Our salaries were based on the generosity of donors. There was a period when the cash flow was barely a trickle because a major donor began to vacillate on its commitment to the organization. One time, the funds were so low that the director could only apologize and give each of us $100 on payday, hoping that the funding would increase before the next month....

The many years I worked for a non-profit, religious organization were a financial walk of faith. Our salaries were based on the generosity of donors. There was a period when the cash flow was barel…

31/08/2023

A reminder taped to my bathroom mirror says, "Don't be disappointed by the results you didn't get, with the work you didn't do." I’m not sure who should get the credit for such a pithy statement, but it grabs my attention when I think about what it means. I try to use it as a reminder of the things on my self-improvement list....

A reminder taped to my bathroom mirror says, “Don’t be disappointed by the results you didn’t get, with the work you didn’t do.” I’m not sure who should get the c…

24/08/2023

My paternal grandmother did not like to iron, so she would discard or give away anything that came out of the dryer too wrinkled to wear. Usually, she would not buy clothes unless they had a label that promised the item would be wrinkle-free. When an item didn’t perform as the tag had promised, it was useless as far as Ma Hattie was concerned....

My paternal grandmother did not like to iron, so she would discard or give away anything that came out of the dryer too wrinkled to wear. Usually, she would not buy clothes unless they had a label …

17/08/2023

Sometimes you simply don’t want to answer the phone, or you are busy and cannot answer it. Caller ID and blocker apps can be helpful resources for either reason. However, there is someone in my family who picks up the phone every time it rings. I’ve heard them yelling at telemarketers to quit calling them. Rather than create a contact list to identify the callers or find out how to block unwanted callers, I’ve heard them say as they squint at a number, “Who is this calling me now?” Then they answer the call....

Sometimes you simply don’t want to answer the phone, or you are busy and cannot answer it. Caller ID and blocker apps can be helpful resources for either reason. However, there is someone in my fam…

10/08/2023

Nobody wants flies buzzing around them. These nasty little creatures have somehow mastered the skill of making us look quite foolish. We yell at them, chase them around, and throw an arm out of joint trying to swat them. We spend money on gadgets to electrocute them, sprays to gag them, or on tapes that will Velcro them to death. When that doesn’t work, we try to trick them into going to the window once we’ve turned off the lights so we can annihilate them there. ...

Nobody wants flies buzzing around them. These nasty little creatures have somehow mastered the skill of making us look quite foolish. We yell at them, chase them around, and throw an arm out of joi…

Learning to Love Olivia