All Posts

My daughter, and I in Old Town, San Diego Día de Los Muertos I looked up the origins of Halloween and here is what I found online. Halloween has roots in Celtic Christianity. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, a time when the Celts believed the boundary between the living and the dead was blurred. They lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. As Christianity spread, Samhain traditions blended

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Being on a cruise was quite a challenge to practice this one. Yet, I found much satisfaction in having “a little bit.” Little Bit Little bit. A little bit is enough. On board the French ship, The Jacques Cartier, I sampled delicious food. The French eat a little bit. The appetizer fits in a dish that is 2 inches in diameter. And yet those 3 bites were more than enough. The same with the rest of the meal. I walked away satisfied, n

I was preparing to start a new class called “God Delights in You.” I see people struggle knowing deep within how much God truly loves them. My heart goes out to them, as I was once there. My passion is to share that not only does God love you, he truly delights in you. Only a few signed up. I started to doubt. What must I do, Lord? My happy place is at the beach, so I took a walk. The ocean reminds me of God’s extravagant and endless love for us. The sound of the waves

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit. This is a hard one for many of us. Several years ago, I took a cruise through the Solomon Islands. I had the opportunity to practice patience, and then I wrote this reflection. Patience in the Waiting On this cruise ship, they let you know the next day’s plans the night before. I had to let go of “Where are we going?” “What time?” What is happening?” I felt I could trust the captain to find the right places to take us to. They need t

A woman who is a therapist shared in the class, “God Delights in You,” that she really enjoyed the chapter on learning to pray in new ways. There are so many wonderful prayers. Growing up, I learned the Our Father (The Lord’s Prayer), Bless Our Food, and Goodnight prayers. Sadly, like many other prayers, these became rote. My mouth moved, yet I felt no heartfelt connection. Don’t forget to tag on “In Jesus’ Name,” which can be rote, too. My spirit became dry. Until I disco

In “God Delights in You” group, a woman shared how much this letter touched her. I want to share it with you today. Dearest One (your name), “When you are afraid, I am with you. When you feel distressed, I am your God. I will give you strength and be your helper With my righteous hand.” Is. 41:10 “I know how hard this situation is for you. I suffered deeply when I became human. I cannot explain now why this is happening to you. For my thoughts and w

God made me fast. When I run, I feel his pleasure. Eric Liddell, Olympic Gold Champion (1924) I admire Eric Liddell for his faith, his perseverance in achieving his goals, and for saying that he felt God’s pleasure when he ran. Long ago, I thought God was out there somewhere. I had to be a ‘good girl’ to earn God’s love. And the only place to experience God is at church or bible study. Yes, I do experience God’s pleasure at church and other times, too. Especially when I swim.

Ephesians 2:10 tells us we are his masterpiece. What do you think of when you hear the word masterpiece? God tells us he created us in his Image. What he made was good (Gen. 1:31). Here is one of the spiritual practices we did together in the class “God Delights in You.” Celebrate, Ruminate, and Meditate Look at a picture of you. Write what is good. Remember, you are made in God’s image. List 20 characteristics about you. Include personality, gifts, talents, and skills

We have heard it said so many times; “God loves you.” But does God like me? Are you one of the many people who have told me, “I know God loves me in my head, but I don’t truly believe it in my heart.” Or perhaps you know in your heart God loves you, but for some reason you still doubt it. Maybe your prayers go unanswered. You wonder, does God hear me? Perhaps you have been hurt by life. Or things didn’t turn out the way you hoped. And you wonder where was God in all

In Nuremberg, the Nazis found the ideal setting in which to carry out their activities. Part was due to the weather, since there was less rain and more warmth for Hitler to hold his outdoor propaganda speeches. Our guide said it was all propaganda and lies to the Germans and the world. Rallies were held, the boycott of Jewish businesses began, and the infamous Nuremberg Trials took place after the war. We went to the arena that Albert Speer (Hitler’s Architect) designed but

Day Seven: Wurzburg Wurburg was heavily damaged during World War II and has been completely restored. A highlight is the great Bishops’ Residenz Palace which was built in 1744. You can see the damage in the photo. We saw the sweeping staircase and magnificent ceiling frescoes by Teipolo. Long ago, the Bishop was the ruler until Napolean invaded and took over. Our guide said the bishop thought he was God. When this political leader told him he wanted a divorce, the bishop to

Marktheidenfeld is a lovely town in the region of Bavaria with a rich heritage dating back to medieval times. Timbered houses, restaurants, and quaint shops can all be found here. Our e-bike guide boasted of the great wine they make. We chose to bike along the river, taking in fresh air and the beautiful scenery. I enjoy exercising, mostly swimming; however, I like biking occasionally. I appreciate the assistance I get from this kind of bike. I used to have a Trek bike, but

Frankfurt’s Old Town-the smallest district in the city-is one of its most historic. Centered around the imperial castle, it held the title of largest intact medieval city in Germany until World War II and is renowned for its extensive collection of half-timbered houses. I just loved this. The Old Town has been rebuilt several times throughout its history. During World War II, the district was mostly destroyed by Allied bombs. Reconstruction began in the 1950’s to restore th

Baden Baden means Bathing Bathing in German. That is what we did and loved it. Natural hot spring water is abundant in this area. Long ago, when Hitler came across these waters, he thought it had no use. He was open to find minerals and metals that could be used for war. But the Romans thought differently and built their bath houses. Today there were two spas to choose from. One was nude. One was with a bathing suit. We chose the later! This spa had an outdoor pool, which

Our guide told us how these towns along the border between France and Germany long ago went back and forth over which country they belonged to. Hence, a German name, Strasbourg, but now a part of France. He also told us these border towns speak their own dialect of a combo of French and German. I asked how they get along now, considering the countries were enemies during WWII. He replied they get along well now and are at peace. They enjoy their beer and wine together, of

Breisach is a gateway to the Black Forest region and located in one of the warmest parts of Germany. Breisach boasts about its wine as it is home to Europe’s largest cellars and stores more that 160 million liters. The Black Forest is known for several fairytale origins with its gingerbread houses, romantic castles, and dark mist-filled woods. It is said that one can imagine Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, or Snow White scampering into the woods.

We boarded the Viking Modi in Basel, Switzerland, and set off on the Rhine and Main Rivers for a 10-day cruise. What we love about cruising is our hotel moves. We unpack once, and then just get off each day to tour. When we return, dinner is waiting for us. Speaking of the food, it was wonderful. Especially the chocolate mousse. I was surprised I did not gain any weight. I think it’s because we are more active and the portions are small. A salad is served on a salad plate,

Basilica St. Michael (below, yellow color) was where the wedding scene, The Sound of Music, between Maria and Captain Von Trapp was filmed. Previously, I explained that acoustics were perfect so they did not need to build a sound stage. The Cathedral in Frankfurt was simple and yet beautiful. The sculpture below depicts Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ mother, and the women mourning Jesus’ body. God took care of him, even in death. A wedding is joyful. What gives y

Located in the Bavarian Alps near the town of Berchtesgaden, this historic site sits atop the Kehlstein mountain at an elevation of 6,017 feet. Hitler had it built as an entertainment and meeting place to discuss war strategies and plan the genocide. Our guide said that Hitler was afraid of heights, so he only went up there about 18 times. His mistress, Eva Braun, loved it and often went up for the day. The guide also stated that Hitler was claustrophobic, so the 40-story el

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived in Salzburg for his first 25 years. Born in the city on January 27, 1756, he spent his youth and early adulthood there before permanently relocating to Vienna at the end of 1780. As a gifted musician and composer, he left a legacy that lives on today. The yellow building is where he was born. Then his family moved to the pink building, which is now a museum. We went to a concert one afternoon in the recital hall where Mozart once performed. Ther