January 9, 2021 Oh! That horrible airplane ride from La Paz to Miami back in 1964. My mom, my brother, age 11, and I at 12 sat in the back of the two-engine prop airplane. While I gazed out the window to my left, my mom and brother focused on other urgent matters. Shortly after …
December 25, 2020 I hate unexpected, painful events, don’t you? When they turn our world upside down, self-pity and resentment quickly become our silent companions. That happened to me. I resented the impossibility I faced. How could that be? With so many medical advances, no one could find a cure for the retinal disease that …
November 27, 2020 “We had the worst Thanksgiving,” my friend said. “My uncle became so irate at the news, he hurled his shoe at the TV and cracked the screen.” Whoa! What’s happening in our homes today? Parents are tense, kids aren’t happy. And just about everyone is fed up. We’re over the chaos. But …
November 13, 2020 “I’m in the hospital,” my friend emailed me. “I have COVID-19.” My heart sunk. Many recover. Many have few symptoms. And others test positive and have no symptoms at all. So, what do we do when we learn a dear friend is in the hospital? Most would pray. I did. But are …
October 25, 2020 My hands grew sweaty and my heart beat fast. I did my best in my task as a novice Spanish interpreter in that courtroom decades ago. Then the unexpected happened. “Mrs. Eckles, approach the bench,” the judge said after he announced a recess during one of the sessions. Gulp. He’s calling me, …
September 25, 2020 In bad times, we need to get bold. And that’s what I did. I got a bit bold and wrote my grown sons this letter. Since you are my inspirational family, may I share it with you? It’s based on Psalm 33. Each verse seems to have been written for all of …
August 7, 2020 “I’m so sick of this,” a friend said behind her mask, “can’t wait for this to be over.” We can all relate, can’t we? And to add to the frustration, many say this will get worse before it gets better. That’s not the news we want. Then again, there’s so much we …
July 10, 2020 “So, I was with some friends preaching in South Africa,” a preacher said, “when a blind woman who sat at the front came up for prayer. The preacher told her Jesus loved her and wanted to heal her blindness. He then placed his hands on her head and prayed. In that instant, …
July 3, 2020 Back in 1970, my parents, my brother age 16 and I age 17 dismissed the 100 degree whether on that 4th of July in St. Louis. Our focus was fixed on that important day that would change our lives. We entered the courtroom. A hush filled the air and the huge, red, …
June 19, 2020 Were there dreams or nightmares that waited for me and my family in the U.S.? The ophthalmologist shined a bright light into my eyes. “She did inherit it,” he said to my parents and me. “You need to be prepared. There is no cure.” He leaned back on his chair. “There’s no …
