I hope each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I certainly relished getting hugs from grandchildren and catching up with a daughter I rarely see. She is amazing. She does one million things well. I loved watching her do life in church, in the kitchen, as a wife and mom. I […]
Each year I make sure we linger long around the Thanksgiving table by having every person share what they are thankful for. Usually it’s the list of five things that each family member writes on their paper hand (as shown in the next photo), but people can share whatever they wish, and the list can […]
A string of observations that occurred recently all in one week made me realize people speak and think badly about me…and it’s made me all the more determined not to think or speak badly about anyone ever again! #1 – I heard a group of students bashing a professor. And then I realized…students have talked […]
This week, Neil Anderson sent out a devotional that made a point I had never pondered before… When Satan tempts us or accuses us, we know it, but when he deceives us, we don’t know it. Gulp. I guess I always considered temptation and deception as synonyms, or at least close cousins. But they differ. […]
Hello Friends, We’ve recently updated the Email Newsletter software running on OaksMinistries.com. As a result of the transition, this past Sunday’s post notification didn’t get sent out. Please use the following link to go to last Sunday’s post: My brother’s funeral – 31 years ago today Thank you again for subscribing to my blog. ~Laurie
For the last three years, one of my blog posts each October has been dedicated to my brother, Dan. Letter to my Brother, Dan The Death of Dan. The Rebuilding of Laurie The Death of Dan. The Rebirth of Me. This is my fourth post during the anniversary month of his death. Dan was in […]
Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles. (Isaiah 40:31) I have blogged about birds’ wings before, but this week in my my son’s devotional I learned how eagles use their wings (Storm Chasers, #112) . Eagles possess an inner awareness that alerts them to coming storms. […]
I had a lighter than usual load of grading to do this week, so when my son asked me if I could take him to the skate park on a beautiful, balmy Thursday evening, I was thrilled to be able to say yes (because I so often have to say no on weeknights). We decided […]
The nation has been sad this week following the Las Vegas shooting last Sunday. In many ways, I have not seen people so generally depressed since 9/11. It’s like a blanket of malaise has draped itself over our nation. And people are asking why. There are many true answers to the question. The scope of […]
I have just finished reading A Fierce Love, by Shauna Shanks. In my opinion, it is worthy of its current five-star rating on Amazon. Why did I read the book? More accurately, why did I race to buy the book even though my marriage is not struggling under the oppressive weight of adultery? Because I […]
