WAITING We’d waited… And waited. Then, just like that, the pop of western North Carolina, and the mountains were awash in watercolor beauty. The waiting was over. WALKING We walked, talking some, laughing. Mostly, the
Read moreLesson of the Leaves
Tag: Maureen Miller
A Lovely Lesson in Leadership
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (I Timothy 4:12 NIV). Sometimes one
Read moreMockery to Melody–Purpose from Pain
“You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees” (Ps. 119:68 NIV). Nearly two and a half decades ago, I returned home from the hospital without my daughter. Devon Mara-Leigh was to be
Read moreIf Jesus Had a Dog
Mother’s Day weekend 2013, a mixed-Pyrenees pup joined our family–not long after our adopted daughter, having suffered great loss, too, joined us at the age of almost three. Unlike our other dogs who were purely
Read moreWho’s Your Daddy? I AM
“A wise son brings joy to his father…” (Proverbs 10:1a NIV). Although my name’s not actually Joy, my husband did bring me to his father, as well as to my own, when we were merely
Read moreBeauty from Ashes
I’ll be honest. Mother’s Day hasn’t always been my favorite day. In fact, this particular Sunday in May brought heartache for years—not because I’d suffered the loss of my own mother but because I hadn’t
Read moreNew Life in an Old Garden
“The question is not what you look at but what you see” (Henry David Thoreau). Summer’s wildflowers are a faint memory in the often chilly, damp days of early March. What was once a flurry of
Read moreLove Like That
Some years ago, our daughter Allie simply stated, “Momma, I want to paint your fingernails.” Really? I thought. After all, I rarely do much nail maintenance myself. Reluctantly, I nodded, then followed her to the
Read moreSmile and Say ‘Daddy’!
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT).
Read moreUnwrapping Rest in the Season’s Stress
“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him” (Psalm 62:5 NIV). I could hear her weariness, though her message was merely a short text. I tossed and turned all night. I’m
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