With scissors in hand, I stared in the mirror. My bangs had been driving me crazy for too long.

Do you ever feel like you are on the clock? It seems like there is a time for everything in our day. We set an alarm for a time to get up. We have a time for breakfast, school or work start times, quitting time, bedtime, and my list could go on and on.

My sister, Teri, is like medicine – a balm for the soul. I needed a good dose, so I threw my toothbrush and pajamas in a bag, then headed 252 miles to Bowling Green for a day. Totally worth it. There’s a long time of hugging when we get together. Then we start talking as fast as we can to catch up.

Last week was one of my granddaughters' birthdays. She asked for a "blob" kit, which I purchased. It is basically just what it says - a blob of clay to transform as you see fit.

As we age, we become physically weaker and tend to give up activities we once enjoyed. This is normal, but it can be depressing for some people.

When the alarm went off on Sunday morning at 4 a.m., there was a lot to do. Coffee day for our jail Bible study meant brewing started early.

In September 1968, an Argentine couple and their two young children boarded a plane in Buenos Aires and flew to New York City. It was supposed to be temporary.

Proverbs 3:5 is one of my favorite proverbs. It states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” I use this verse often when asked, “Why did God let this happen?”

Once, a snooty, high society lady looked down her nose at another lady and asked, “Where are your jewels?” ​The woman called her sons over and pronounced, “These are my jewels!” That’s how I feel about my family.

In Isaiah 1:18, we read, “'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'” Albert Einstein once stated that a teacher should teach students to think (reason) and the rest would take care of itself. That should have been, and in many cases was, the goal of all good teachers.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, I could hear him coming. The whirl of his brushes and the low hum of his engine quietly announced his arrival. It was the street sweeper.

I can hardly believe that this time next week, Wayne and I will celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary. From being high school sweethearts, a basketball player and a cheerleader, to having three children, seven grandchildren, and 48 years of marriage.

I admit it. I’m often forgetful. I make a mental note, but can’t remember where I put it. I lay down my reading glasses and then can’t find them (I often discover them on my head). I open the refrigerator but cannot recall what I’m looking for. I start to say something, but getting distracted, I lose my train of thought.

Last Wednesday night, I went in “big church” instead of helping with the kids in the back. My beloved was heading to the Southern Baptist Convention, so I wanted to just be in his presence one more time before he left.

Last weekend, my beloved and I watched in horror as rescue workers in Laos safely evacuated four men who had been trapped in a flooded cave for over a week.

Pastor Kyle Idleman once spoke to a men’s conference in Birmingham. He had just published his book, Not a Fan, which challenges readers to follow Christ with deeper devotion. Our tendency, he wrote, is to follow Jesus on our terms rather than His terms.

The first lie recorded in the Bible was committed in the Garden of Eden by the father of lies, Satan, the devil.

Last weekend, our kids came in from Lexington and Indiana to visit and cook out, but especially to go to the cemeteries back home. Our niece, Cassie, joined us. She recently moved from Florida to Virginia. Having always lived away, she hadn’t known where her father had lived, nor his parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.

​The sign read, “Warning! Pet Peeves Ahead!” It wasn’t posted on a roadside, like an alert letting you know “bridge out ahead” or “road closed.” It appeared online.

Slaw makes me really nervous. Wait. That’s not exactly right. Making slaw makes me really nervous. I don't have a set recipe.

Most refrigerators can tell a story. As I look at mine, I see pictures of grandchildren, awards, drawings from school, vacation photos, excellent test papers, party invitations, and notes reminding us "don't forget."

If you are in our area this week, you will find us hugging a little more and holding hands a bit tighter. Our whole community was rocked a few days ago when a treasured 12-year-old boy named Diesel took his life just before his 13th birthday. His brother is in my Sunday School class.

Just in case you didn't know, this Sunday is Mother's Day. I lost my mom 20 years ago. It is really hard for me to even believe it's been that long. I hate that she didn't get to see the weddings of her grandchildren or her seven great-grandchildren. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and miss things about her.

I may have said this before, and I will say it again. I am a lover of cards and notes. I like to write them, but I also like to receive them. I mean, who doesn't like to get something in the mail besides junk mail or a bill?

Someone said, “We can’t cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” Joy is the hallmark of the Christian life, that inner gladness and delight rooted in our relationship with Jesus.