Family and Friends

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

Thanksgiving is near. Without invitation, the anticipation of favorite foods floats through our minds. The expectation of reuniting with family and friends stirs eagerness to see those dear to us (and maybe a little hesitation about being with those not so dear). The last two posts reminisced about family, but friendships are also important.

We all need people who will laugh with us, listen to us, and encourage us—friends who know us well and love us, those who don’t judge or criticize us. It’s great to pull up old memories and also to share future hopes. The featured picture illustrates this; during our son’s recent visit, several of Corey’s friends showed up to celebrate his 50th.

Proverbs 27:17 explains the value of a trusted friend:
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

I hope you have a friend like that, one who will speak into your life honestly and help you be the best you, you can be. Someone who wants the most for you and encourages you to grow.

I hope you are a friend like that.

Let’s always be on the watch for someone who needs us to be a friend, to lift them up and lovingly get in their business and root for them. We all need a cheerleader in our lives, and we all need to be a cheerleader for someone else.

Which brings up a question: Who might appreciate an invitation to your Thanksgiving dinner this year? Or at least an offer to meet for coffee sometime?

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Family & Unity

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

Since we only see our Tennessee family once or twice a year, we savor the time we have together. The grandsons have grown into adulthood—we no longer read stories to them or build Legos, but we converse around the fire pit and learn about their new ventures or hobbies. We appreciate the boys’ growth and maturity, the development of their character and opinions. We leave personal views unspoken because they really don’t matter. What matters is us—family—with unique personalities and shared history.

I hope the word family invokes warm feelings for you, feelings that awaken nostalgic memories and stir longing in your heart. I am aware that this best-case scenario is not true for everyone.

Sadly, I know far too many adult siblings who will not speak to each other and parents whose children spurn them. Why? That’s the hounding question, the cry of broken hearts.

Will no one be the adult in the room and engage in an open dialogue? Is pain from the past larger than the mercy in your heart? The inflicted hurt was likely unintentional. Or it was intentional but is now regretted. Or it is so deep-seated that stubbornness usurps grace.

Society at large seems to have lost sight of the fact that you can vehemently disagree and still respect one another, still love each other. This division is understandable in a world that is steadily growing darker, but in a family? In the church?

How can those who profess Christ dismiss His longing for us to be one? In His last hours, Jesus prayed passionately for His followers. Do you remember the cry of His heart?

I am praying… for all who will ever believe in me… that they will all be one,
just as you and I are one.
I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one…
May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me
(John 17:20-23, emphasis mine).

The holidays are coming. Many will be coerced into sharing space with family they’d rather avoid. Some will absent themselves from gatherings to dodge a relative. How grievous to the heart of God.

I implore you to pray Jesus’ prayer for unity. Be the bigger person, the God-pleasing person, the person who forgives by choice and speaks a kind word. Be a bridge-builder.

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Family

~ Barbara ~ 3 Comments

Family

Our Tennessee family came to visit, and I put my blogging on hold. We had wonderful days with beautiful weather for outdoor adventures, plenty of time for conversation, and a visit with Corey’s old friends! And still, I cried when they left. Ah, family! Above are Corey, Noah, Sam, and Micah.

My Fall Favorites

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

I know. I post about fall every year. I doubt I will say anything new about autumn 2026, but there’s so much to love!

  • Colorful leaves, dancing, twirling, falling.
  • Pumpkins—punctuating the landscape or baked into breads and muffins.
  • Crisp air, cool nights, fall sweaters and comfy hoodies.
  • Apple anything—cider, pie, donuts. Apple picking, apple saucing, apples candied.
  • Mums along walkways and perched on porches.
  • The coziness of earlier dusk, cords of firewood, and fragranced candles.
  • Fall cabbages with highlights of purple or white.
  • Gourds boasting unique shapes and textures.
  • Pops of orange and red, rust and gold, outside and in our homes.
  • The sound of swishing leaves and crackling fires.
  • The unfailing change of seasons to remind us of life’s ebb and flow.
  • Gratitude for harvest time and God’s supply, demonstrating His faithfulness.

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest,
cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”
Genesis 8:22

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