I have loads of great memories of past Halloweens. But the best one is of a “Dance Party” our family performed for my mom on her birthday. Dressed in silly wigs, glasses and hats, we shucked and jived through the kitchen while she watched from the adjoining room. I’m so grateful we recorded it; her delightful laughter is audible in the background.
In remembrance of JinJan, who was sweeter than a bag full of treats—and to share why she shone brighter than a jack-o’-lantern—I’m reposting a perfectly timed analogy of what gave my mom even greater joy than the silly antics of that particular birthday.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom. We love you and miss you.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
What Does It Mean To Be Made New?
by Liz Curtis Higgs (Reposted with permission. Original post found HERE)
When this Former Bad Girl received Christ, you can imagine what my coworkers thought when I danced out the door on a Friday afternoon shouting, “Party!” and then strolled in Monday morning saying, “Praise the Lord, I’ve been baptized!”
Did they notice? Oh, baby.
As spring turned into summer, I soared and stumbled along my new walk with Christ, watched carefully by my coworkers, who were curious about the changes they were seeing.
One October day, our receptionist asked me, “Liz, what does it mean to be a Christian?”
Uh-oh. The most important question ever. Did I have an answer at the ready? I did not. Desperately looking around for inspiration, I saw a ceramic pumpkin on display and stammered, “Oh, Alice, it’s just like being a pumpkin.”
“Really?” she asked. “What do you mean by that?”
Friend, I had no idea what I meant. After silently pleading for the Lord to make sense of my nonsense, I said, “Well, God chooses us out of the pumpkin patch of life.” Whew.
In the wee hours of the night when sleep alludes me, I often listen to podcasts. Once in a while, I hear bits and pieces that are so compelling I re-listen when I am wide awake. Here are three favorite new podcast episodes to mark the third month of 2025. All are well worth your time whether on a walk, in the car or puttering around the house. (If you like those but never had a chance to listen to the nine recommended last year, put them on your list. You can google any of the Podcast titles if you are unable to listen on Spotify.)
Anxiety is rampant even in our small college town. In the last month we have been grappling with a deadly parking lot shooting, a stabbing on campus, a suspected Continue reading
They say that short term memory is the first to go. I can remember what I had for lunch on the first day of first grade (indelibly burned into my memory as a life lesson) but now, when asked what I did the previous weekend, well, that can be a complete mystery. Even my […]
Happy 4th of July everyone! Looking back over the past 6 months, one of the most important decisions I made was to ponder and come up with a motivating motto for the year ahead. It’s aspirational. Short and sweet. Easy to remember. It’s catchy. It rhymes. It’ll even fit on a post-it note—just like my favorite recipes :) […]
Call me crazy, but because today is St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve rewritten the chorus of a famous Tina Turner song. (I know, I know. She is not the first image that comes to mind on this day.) I can almost hear her singing to the tune of “What’s Love Got to Do with It“: What’s luck got to […]
Are you a bibliophile, devouring books by the dozens, stacked high on your bedside table? I envy you. I’d love to cozy down each night with a good read, but alas, I don’t. Many barely get started then are tucked away, and soon forgotten. If a book doesn’t grab me quickly, it’s swiftly abandoned to […]
If you, dear reader, received an email alerting you to my new post—the one that mysteriously required a password—blame it on my limited abilities in navigating the new WordPress format. Or for those so inclined, you can chalk it up to fake news :) It’s been a very “dry season” with lots of static disrupting […]
It was March, 2012—the last time I really put myself out there and risked doing hard, scary things for the sake of someone else. Rappelling through waterfalls, whitewater rafting in a rain swollen river and zip lining 12 consecutive times far above the tree canopy of Arenal, Costa Rica. I’ve since decided those kind of […]
Who says you need a turkey and all the traditional sides or every loved one around your table to have a great day filled with laughter and gratitude? Who says you need to meet on the fourth Thursday in November? Not the out-of-the-box Burlesons. No sirreee, not in many a year! Last year, on the […]
Rooted & Growing 