My Journal
Where I share my thoughts in words.Unexpected Gifts – Part 1
Unexpected Gifts(an old-fashioned Christmas story)Part 1 Valorie Bender Quesenberry The snowflakes looked like a feather storm. Janie thought about the day old Blue pulled Granny’s feather tick off the line and tore a hole in it....
when winning is a problem
I love being right.Ask my husband.Part of this is the fact that I am married to a professional, a man who takes detail seriously and who has a brain that is just geared to get things right. So we have an ongoing joke about the times I win and can say "I'm right" and...
How those Pumpkins grow. . .
Repost of a blog entry from Fall, 2007.As I contemplate the arrival of the autumn season of the year and my present season of mothering, the words of this little verseremind of the value of each and every day.Plump and shiny,fruit of harvest,pumpkins orange lay...
of pioneers and grandmas and knowing Jesus
She's old. But to me she's always been old. She's my grandma.But she's not like I remember her. You see, it's been a long time since I've lived close enough to see her. And, in that time, she's changed. Skin mottled and veined; hair wispy and gray; features hollowed...
Uncommon Adventure
It’s a common experience.Just like all the really important events in our lives. God made the best in life attainable to every creature, regardless of economic level or region of residence. Waking up to the sunrise, experiencing the exhilaration of adolescence,...
I Knew Rosie the Riveter . . . and She knew Jesus
We called her Susie, not Rosie, and the life she lived went far beyond helping America win a war. She fought the good fight and kept the faith. And now she has won her final battle and heaven welcomed a faithful daughter on March 8, 2016.Velma May “Susie”...
Looking for a Hero
It isn't that strange. Not really.It's built into our psyche, this delight in a champion.But, for most of us, it's a surreptitious search. Because it makes us feel silly. We were okay with it as children when we could latch onto a strong persona and no one...
Husbands Who Pray and Kiss
Behold, the great day of romance is upon us! Cupid’s whisper is in the air and the store displays are filled with pink and red hearts. Florists are doing a booming business. Hallmark is adding to its revenues in great style. Boxes of chocolates are flying off the...
Three of the Best Decisions my Parents Made
Parents make many decisions. And I suppose one could argue that the most vital one is the answer to the question “Will we have children?” In former generations, that wasn’t really an option most of the time. When a man and woman married, they assumed that they would...
Christmas Past
It is wired into us perhaps to believe that we are made from fine stuff. Though we are dust we imagine that it was stardust and not sawdust or dirt-dust. And we who can trace our lineage back to the God of the universe have cause to believe that we originated from...