Mary’s Monday Musings Chili Competitions               I’ve never understood why sometimes it is the hottest chili that wins the competition. To me, I’d rather eat something full of subtle flavors instead of something that makes my eyes water and has me reaching for a glass of water with my mouth on fire. But then,

Mary’s Monday Musings More than Valentine Love             February is a time to celebrate romantic love, but true agape love takes many other inspiring forms and is available to everyone. A long time ago, our family gathered for one of our granddaughter’s birthdays She opened a present to find a gorgeous doll in a lovely

Mary’s Monday’s Musings Encourage Yourself in Amazing Love Encourage Yourself in Amazing Love             This month symbols of romantic love are all around us on billboards, in stores, on television. February is a perfect time to bask in the joy of knowing God loves you, individual you, who is unlike anyone else on this planet.

Mary’s Monday Musings Lost and Found             My favorite earrings were lost. They were simple silver earrings that were extremely comfortable, and went with everything. I hunted every place that I might have reasonably put them but didn’t find them. Then I hunted every little place I could have absent-mindedly have put them. No earrings.

Grey Days             Our Wisconsin relatives arrived in Virginia ready for some sun. Heavy grey clouds had hovered over their Midwestern skies for 3 dreary weeks. What did they find when they arrived here? The gray days had followed them. We all felt our spirits lift when finally the Sun broke through the day before

Mary’s Monday Musings Baby Jesus breaks Loose from His Box             I finally finished packing away the last of the Christmas decorations.  I carefully wrapped each piece of the nativity scene in tissue, beginning with the wise men and finishing with the baby Jesus on his little stack of “hay”.  I placed him in the

Mary’s Monday Musings A Warm Coat             The winter coat I wear on the coldest days garners a lot of compliments. It’s not only warm, it even looks warm. Passersby comment on it. Two layers of short piled fabric are stitched together to form a coat. It’s like wearing two blankets off my bed. I

Mary’s Monday Musings Legacy This Christmas my dear Aunt celebrated by going to her heavenly home. Her funeral was a  reflection of her loving personality. The older I get, the more I wonder how I’ll be remembered after I’m gone. Does my life stand for God in such a way as to influence those who

Mary’s Monday Musings New Beginnings             Time was running out. I was suppose to check in at a church office near a small Maryland village to receive instructions for the church’s women’s meeting that evening as well as directions to our host for the night. Our usually reliable GPS was struggling with our rural destination.

Mary’s Monday Musings Birthdays             I remember a lot of birthdays. One from my childhood stands out.  It wasn’t the one we planned and I expected, but I remember it well. Each year, the fact my birthday fell smack in the middle of the ragweed season was a major inconvenience to celebrating. Sniffling, sneezing, and