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"Joe, I don't think you should try it," Grandma said, sitting on the left side of the pontoon river raft with her feet propped up against the inflated rubber tubing. "What if you fall in?" I shot Grandpa a help me glance as he sat beside Grandma. He smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Just hang on tight to the front pontoon rope when you see the whitewater," he said. "I don't want to have to jump in and rescue you." Mark, our young oarsman, and Colorado River guide sat on his ra...
Sometimes I find myself so involved in an exciting conversation with others that I've gotten into a bad habit of including an exclamatory phrase that uses God's name. When I'm chatting with my friends about an exciting event or situation, I've been guilty of using God's name in a disrespectful way. After I've said those words, I know I shouldn't have, because I remember the Third Commandment tells me, "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." And that is...
As raindrops slither down our kitchen window this December morning, I remember another rainy morning in December of last year. It was after breakfast that Grandma and I were going shopping for a Christmas present for Momma but I knew Grandma wasn't feeling well because her asthma was bothering her. "Grandma," I said finishing my bannock, "we don't have to go shopping today if you don't feel up to it." Grandma gave me a "pretend" indignant look and reached for her inhaler. She...
The Rolling Stones sang: "You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need." It's kind of weird when the Rolling Stones make a really good point, but they did. You're not going to get everything you want. But if you're paying attention, you'll probably notice that you're getting what you need. There are times when requests are made to our parents, but they're denied-like the young man who wanted a special fishing pole,...
It was Christmas Eve, last year. How I dreaded its arrival! I knew I shouldn't feel that way-but inside my little house the silence had become unbearable. My only company was the TV and most shows weren't the kind that held my interest long. I had my daily Bible reading and my prayers. I often talked to God during the day, and there was comfort in that. I tried not to think about the past, but when the Christmas season arrived, I couldn't help thinking about the past-about...
When I stepped from the classroom into the hallway, somehow, it seemed more crowded with kids even shorter and smaller than last year. Was it because I was feeling self-conscious about being a head taller than most of them? As two girls passed, I heard their giggles. “Did you see her? She’s so tall!” “She’s almost a giant,” the other girl snickered. I fought back embarrassed tears. Why did I grow so tall over the summer? In the lunch area, my friends from last year, Rita...
One of the most difficult things for me to do has been to practice forgiveness. My feelings are easily hurt, and I seem to suffer for days when I'm feeling offended. For years I lived in a gloomy fog of depression, stress, and stomachaches. I had no appetite. I carried the spirits of anger and hate around like we were good friends. And, sometimes, I thought about ways I could repay the wrong I had suffered. But I've found a better way to cope with hurts. I experienced God's...
“Ouch!” My hand smarted from the stinging hot water as I gazed out the kitchen window. Quickly, I mixed cold water over the amber glass and rinsed the suds away. “Not paying attention to washing dishes,” I chided. Too busy looking into the carefully tended, lush, green lawn of the McKays’ backyard. Small, flowered plants in heavy clusters bordered my neighbor’s fence. Farther out, circular coronets of dahlias and zinnias bloomed in rich gold and reds. Between these festi...
