Sparkly Ginnie Gaspar and I were together in a Cincinnati Christian writer’s group for about a decade. She was a generation older, but that didn’t matter. Everyone loved Ginnie. She had a generous nature, and she wasn’t one to waste time; she knitted during writer’s critique, and she gave away hundreds of African Violets. Ginnie…
One Advent I was gloomy, because several people I loved were struggling with sickness and divorce. Their suffering made it too difficult to gear up for frosted sugar cookies and “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Yet, I was mildly interested in the growing Christmas light competition between two neighbors. And then there was the Golden Retriever, newly acquired…
Every December, followers of Jesus enter a season of expecting and remembering the amazing gift of Immanuel, “God is with us.” No present tops this: God entrusting the future Savior to Mary and her husband Joseph. But we sometimes forget the reason for the season. Right? It’s such a hustle, bustle time: post Thanksgiving busyness, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, last…