Experiencing Life
SHARON March 17, 2024 SHARE: When we get to the final days of our life, researchers have discovered that our most memorable moments are those we’ve spent with the ones we love and novel experiences. I wonder if novel or new experiences spent with those we care about could be ideal. As I’ve been meandering […]
Memories of Bethlehem This Christmas
SHARON December 24, 2023 SHARE: As this Christmas season approaches, I have 22 incredibly dear friends, memories of the Middle East, a completely new perspective of Jesus’s life and birth, a sincere respect for those who live in a tumultuous country fraught with war, and a much stronger faith in God. And no, I’m not […]
A Tornado Warning Sparks Memories of Israel
SHARON December 11, 2023 SHARE: Yesterday I was finishing up my Saturday house cleaning when my phone lit up with text messages in all caps. Unbeknownst to me, those gray windless clouds outside were hiding a secret. The secret hovered above, barreling toward us several miles away. My daughter’s family crowded into their first-floor closet […]
The Sermon on the Mount
SHARON October 22, 2023 SHARE: After a scenic drive to Capernaum, the center of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, our tour group stood before the Mount of Beatitudes, where we remembered the text of the Sermon on the Mount. It was there that I felt a strong feeling of awe all around. Parrots, butterflies, and varieties […]
Israel by Way of Bethlehem, Caesarea, and Mt. Carmel
SHARON October 7, 2023 SHARE: Today was a spiritually moving and uplifting day. Despite the upsetting conflict erupting in the West Bank of Israel, the last couple of days have been memories that made a big drop in my bucket list. First, we explored one of the most exciting archeological digs in Israel, the palace-fortress […]
My First Excursion in The Hold Land
SHARON October 5, 2023 SHARE: My mother, a quiet and humble lady, visited the Holy Land decades ago. Now that she has gone on, I feel a deep connection with her spiritual journey as I explore the very path of Jesus myself this week. Our church group has come on this trip with reverence and […]
What Does Community Mean to You?
SHARON September 18, 2023 SHARE: When my pastor, Reverend Adam Shourds, asked me to briefly share with our church what community meant to me, I had to give it some serious thought. Although I attend church regularly, I don’t have the opportunity to get to know many people beyond the friendly handshakes week in and […]
Rejuvenate This Summer
SHARON August 3, 2023 SHARE: Whether you have a lighter workload in the summer, or the pace is frantic, opportunities exist to shake things up this season. Research (and common sense) tells us that time outdoors is beneficial for physical and mental health. Simply taking up the same activity in a different place can boost […]
BOOK REVIEW “Until I Find You” by Rea Frey
SHARON June 13, 2023 SHARE: Major life adjustments keep coming at new mother, Rebecca (Bec) Gray. Her husband died in a car accident, and she lost her mother to heart disease. As if this talented cello player isn’t lonely and grief stricken enough, she must also navigate the world without her vision. What Bec can […]
Restore Your Brain Today
SHARON May 29, 2023 SHARE: If you’ve ever driven a long distance for a long-awaited vacation, you easily recognize the stages of your journey. You start out fresh, exhilarated. Once you break free of your hometown, the road unfurls ahead, full of promise for memories and adventures on the other end. Before long, you break […]