Melting snow

At the end of a week’s worth of treacherous weather and white stuff in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, the phrase, “melt the snow…” came to mind. Investigating the thought, I realized I was trying to rewrite Henry van Dyke’s “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”: … read more.

Mirror Image

Mia Kulpa peered into her mirror and made a gruesome discovery. “Ahhh—wrinkles! That’s it, Mirror—you’re a piece of worthless junk. You’re toast!” She wrenched it off of the wall, and took it outside to the trash. “I need a mirror that works!” After thinking, briefly, she got into her car and sped to the $1 store. … read more.

The Black Hole

A few years ago, I wrote about my purse. Many of you seemed to relate. … read more.

Going Places With Neva Neverlost

We first met “Neva Neverlost” in a rental car, and spent a week with this GPS (Going Places Sanely)—our first experience with her kind. Though we couldn’t take her home with us, we can only imagine what Christmas shopping might be like with a GPS who has a mind of her own… … read more.

Going Places With Neva…The Meeting

My husband and I first met “Neva” (Hertz NeverLost) in a rental car. The device was complimentary. She was our GPS (Going Places Sanely); we would soon be her most ardent fans. Totally unfamiliar with her “kind”, there were a few discombobulating moments of screen-tapping at the beginning before Neva was up and running. She must have made good money as a GPS, for she had an assistant who read street names to us in a condescending, saccharine voice (this must have been an overtime trip for her-- the woman clearly needed a break). … read more.

God’s Advisors?

From her time in a salon, a stylist gave me this observation. As she works, she notices that there seem to be two types of clients who come into a shop. They both want their hair cut, coloured, and styled, and neither one has experience with hair.
… read more.

Inspiration and Antioxidants

Wow—what treasures lay hidden in an unassuming box of Kleenex! … read more.

Ravenous

We once had a dog. His favorite place was standing next to you in the kitchen. To get any closer he would need to be strapped to our legs with duct tape. … read more.

Reflections on Habakkuk 3:17,18

What is your day of trouble?


And though the friends shall be busy with their stuff,
And there shall be no time in the day;
Yet I will be rejoice in the Lord.
… read more.

Got Wheels?

My sister loves a challenge. So, at a single-digit age, why should she be satisfied with learning to ride a bike? Enter the rare and inspiring unicycle! … read more.

Over the Dunes

Childhood camping trips to the ocean always included a hike across the dunes with our Dad. We were the great explorers in sandals and Sea-N-Ski, preparing to scale the barren wastes. Mom was left behind to gather the picnic lunch, blankets, Frisbees and towels, then drive to the beach to meet us. I always felt a little sorry for her “aloneness” until I discovered (after having our own kids) that she loved these small moments of solitude!
… read more.

“He-e-lp (gasp)…Need…Water… (clunk)”

My plants are trying a new tactic to get my attention: falling over. I have moved them to the Intensive Care Unit of our home (back porch) onto a small table where they will receive round-the-clock fresh air and more constant sunlight. I don’t know if one is supposed to do this, but it takes away the guilt of seeing them die inside. … read more.

Moving Day

“YOU COULD LIVE HERE FOREVER! Welcome to Somerset Park … read more.

Basket Case

A mother and her daughter loaded the last of the baskets and boxes into their van. Pulling out of the parking lot, they headed downhill to a red light. The mother listened as a laundry basket tipped and the contents slid out.
… read more.

I Am Willing

I Am Willing


… read more.

He Could Use a Carburetor…

“We finally got a new carburetor in our van—at least it was still covered by warranty,” my friend said. … read more.

A Mommy’s Prayer, Borrowed (with apologies to Robert Browning)

… read more.

He is Risen!

He,
Who is our Rock,
could not be kept in place by a large stone.
… read more.

Devotions for Women - Held in His Hand

A friend was looking ahead to major surgery. Her husband’s out-of-town job had taken him away for several weeks, and having her date bumped up before he returned was a strong possibility. … read more.

Devotions for Women - What Kind of a Mom Am I?

What Kind of a Mom Am I? … read more.

Devotions for Women - Life-Altaring

Where is your favorite “alone with the Lord” location? Wish-list answers might be “an empty ocean beach”, “perched on a warm rock by a mountain stream”, or “snuggled into a window seat”. Maybe your reality is “a kitchen table at 4 a.m.”, or “I’m a mom—what’s ‘alone’ again?”

… read more.

Devotions for Women - God-given Tranquility

My life-- changed beyond recognition… everything’s coming at me at once… I don’t understand what’s happened…what do I do first?
… read more.

Devotions For Women - Time to Reflect on God’s Greatness

Before I even opened the blinds, the whiteness from the overnight snowfall had seeped into every room with windows. Little need for lights on today. … read more.

Devotions For Women - New Year’s Shopping List:  Windex

Do you like sparkly things? One of my daughters taught me to soak my rings in a bit of Windex and hot water to clean and shine them. Now I do that with other jewelry. Even a crystal Christmas angel ornament received the treatment!

… read more.

Devotions For Women - Angels from the Realms

One Christmas, I realized that I had received enough “angels” gifts over the years to qualify as a collection. Now, each December, my “heavenly host” congregate on a ledge by the stairs. … read more.

Who’s Building This House, Anyway?

My stomach growled as I headed into the bakery, the fresh-baked bread smell rushing past me. Heading to the counter, I smiled at the clerk, and reached into my pocket.

… read more.

Tree or Stump?

The newspaper article told of a family in our neighborhood who had chopped down two gorgeous flowering trees growing in their front yard. … read more.

He’s Here!

As a child, my tonsillectomy was both intriguing and unsettling. The doctor carefully explained everything to me, … read more.

It’s Been Paid For

A husband and wife were ready to relax on a 3-day, cross-country train ride. Knowing how expensive it was to eat in the dining car, … read more.

What Does Hell Smell Like?

We took a load of stuff to the dump. As we rolled into the smell, my first thought was I’m glad I don’t work here. … read more.

“After You!”

Arriving before the grocery store is even open, you peer expectantly through the window. Inside, clerks scurry to prepare for the sale. … read more.

“Where Am I?”

Are you big on trip-planning down to the minute? You may not have fared well on this one...
… read more.

“Uh-oh” Moments

My daughter and her friends were discussing Abraham. … read more.

Devotions For Women - A Crocodile in the House?

Tears—yep, we shed them--all kinds. … read more.

I Heard That!

“How dare she speak that way to me!” … read more.

You Are Never Without Hope

I dropped my creamer. It was inherited from my grandmother. It was hand-painted. It did not bounce. When I saw the shards, I ruefully thought, “Well, I sure can’t take it to heaven now, and figured there was a lesson in there somewhere (besides the obvious one of being more careful when you tug on a box of breakables). … read more.

Be a Glass Bowl

A friend gave me joy via a glass bowl. She meant it to be used for homemade salsa. It’s a plain bowl with no etching-- an inch thick at the base, and ¾ of an inch thick at the rim. … read more.

Perennially Speaking

… read more.

Be a Glass Bowl

… read more.

Let’s Synchronize Our Watches…

… read more.

On Second Thought…

… read more.

Walking With Jesus

… read more.

Coming to a Cloud Near You

… read more.

Maybe Baby

Maybe it’s just me, but I sure hope that the word “baby” doesn’t become obsolete.  Just imagine…a husband getting home from work, and his wife running to meet him with the news, “Guess what, honey—we’re going to have a fetus!”

The Mighty Mitochondria

Not to worry—I’m not morphing into a mitochondriac, just helping my youngest (and most brilliant-- she wanted me to add) daughter with her science. 

I Don’t Do “Fetch”

My daughter (the science one, she wanted me to add) came indoors and disgustedly announced that Pete, our black cocker, wouldn’t fetch the ball.  … read more.

Lysosomes on the Loose?

“…And the evil lysosome became a “suicide sac” as it broke open and began eating away at the tadpole’s tail cells.  The tadpole screamed, “My tail—what’s happening to my tail?  I think I’m turning into a…a frog!”

Run, Quick!

I’m not very athletic, and was never very good at sports.  It’s even hard for me to jump to a conclusion without pulling my leg.  My nose runs faster than I do, but I do walk a half- hour every day.   I think that the Lord put 1 Timothy 4:8 in the Bible just for me--  “For bodily exercise profiteth little.”  It doesn’t, however, say “bodily exercise profiteth nothing”— sorry. 

Spring Cleaning?

This is always a sad time for me.  It is hard to say goodbye to my little green friends, though I should be used to it by now.  They are so cute and fuzzy in their little containers, and thrive in spite of the cold climate.  But, alas—I must let them go to make room for others.  And so I clean out my fridge…..

Keep Looking…Down

I’m not thrilled with spiders.  My husband and son get the big ones for me (the ones that crunch when you squish them with a tissue). 

Litmus Paper, Anyone?

For me, testing stuff with litmus paper was always a highlight of my science experience—it was easy, gave fast results, and it was easy (did I just mention that?)—just wait for the paper to turn red or blue.

The Time Is Right

"And certain plants shall not grow in Marilyn's garden until she hath the brains and the green thumbs to care for them."

Just Quit

It crawled away from the dirt pile on my kitchen floor. I swept it back. It crawled away. My first thought was, "At least it’s not a cockroach." My second thought was, "If I kill it, will that alert all the others to stage a protest right here on my linoleum?

Motherhood is Hot

I saw this handy bit of information on a poster in a maternity store window. The "mom" had a set of teeth the size of an ice-cube tray, and had more skin showing than clothes.. There were no kids hanging from her navel ring, nor did I notice a pot of potatoes boiling over in the background. From her expression, either she had only thought about becoming a mother, or she had just dropped off 4 screaming rug rats for a year at grandma’s.

You Name It?

Don’t you just love some of the names on major appliances?  Are there little groups of people that sit around and come up with these labels?  Or does the last guy in the assembly line have to slap a piece of fake chrome on the machine before it goes into a box.  Maybe there’s a bucket there with all kinds of names, and they just reach in and pull out one. (We did not purchase any of our major appliances—they were in the home when we rented it.  And none of these names have been changed to protect anyone).

Betta Clean Your Glass

Have you ever watched a Betta?  I felt sorry for ours, circling aimlessly in his small bowl of fake rocks and one plastic plant.  Thinking to liven up his life, I took my cylindrical reading-glasses case and stood it on end near his bowl. 

Mind Your Own Mind

My mind doesn’t just wander, it often books the next flight out of the country.  Sometimes I’ll end up with something flopping around in my brain and I’ll wonder “What file drawer did that come from?”   Like one day last month when my old Jr. High football fight song popped in, complete with all the words (Okay… remind me why I needed that ever again?).

Romper Room

Before my formal schooling years, I often began my day with Romper Room.  It was a half-hour of black-and-white TV, watching a half-dozen kids have fun and do cool things like ride stick horses around in a circle, and cut and paste. 

There, There—Does That Make You Feel Better?

If you ever get the chance to go the speed limit, try it sometime.  It makes an otherwise tedious drive great fun as you observe contorted faces in your rear-view mirror, and then have them roar past you in a rage.  The best part is pulling up to or behind them at the next stop light (I shouldn’t poke fun, because I, too, am guilty).  It not only saves gas, but it’s also a stress-releaser to tool along at 50 or 60km (in Canada), not fretting about having enough room to pass or wondering where the next police car will be (Caution:  leave early enough to try it).

Where Has the Time Gone?

Do you ever just think about Heaven, and eternity? Take time, for example…because the Lord will, and He’ll throw it out the windows of Heaven.

Everybody QUIET!

All of our lives we are taught to speak (some of us catch on to this more readily than others). “Stand up straight and talk to the nice lady, dear.”

Sing-Song

All of us get emotional at times—some of us more than others. During those times, how do you communicate? With a whine, mutter, or sigh? How about a shriek, bellow, or bark? … read more.

Devotions For Women - A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell…. Bitter

I recently cleaned out a small dresser drawer (don’t let the word small fool you; I am adept at packing many things into a very minute area).  Inside, I found a tiny card which had obviously made a large impression on me (evident by the fact that, so carefully was it packed in the drawer, I had ceased to know of its whereabouts).

In a Fog

I was driving through a foggy stretch on a hilly country road.  Up the hill—no fog.  Down the hill—fog.  Up the hill—no fog; down the hill—fog.  Up above I could see blue sky with smears of pink.  How like the Lord, I thought chirpily, to always keep the sun visible as we go through foggy times in our lives (Wow, Marilyn—what a thought!).

For His Eye is on the…Eagle?

I know eagles, robins, blue jays, cardinals, crows, and sparrows, and could pick them out of a crowd.  After that, I’m sort of fuzzy.  I was watching some sparrows out my kitchen window the other day (in the middle of doing something else, of course—it definitely was not in my day-timer).  There were scads of them on the little hill, and they would peck for worms, then stop and look up, all in this jerky kind of motion (I wanted to offer them a cup of chamomile tea and tell them to chill out a bit—they looked so stressed).

Which Widget?

Don’t Worry—This Won’t Hurt a Pit

Arriving home to the golden words “The dishwasher is full of water and it’s leaking” gives a small clue as to how you’ll be spending the afternoon.  My husband began barking out orders, and we began prepping for surgery.  “Hit the breaker!”  “Towel!”  “Tool kit!”   “Trouble light!”  “Tylenol!”  “Bucket!”  “Sense of humor!”

If I’ve Told You Once…

I’d like to have a chocolate chip for every time I’ve had to repeat myself to my kids:

Wash and Wear-y

Don’t take too long answering this (I know you probably have laundry to do).   If you could describe yourself as an article of clothing, what would you be?  A mink stole?  A cashmere sweater?  A silk blouse? (see previous blog).  Maybe some days you feel more like a worn-out t-shirt or a pair of dead socks.

Devotions For Women - Are You Losing It?

A recent newspaper article told of a woman and boy crashing their minivan:

Devotions For Women - Apparently…We Have Not Yet Arrived

When our kids were toddlers (I guess with a 5-yr. span between the 1^st and the 4^th , they couldn’t all have been toddlers at the same time—must have just seemed like it) someone told me, “This is the easy age—wait until they’re teens.”   While waiting for more hair to grow in so I could pull it out again, I thought, Why are you telling me that?  Do you want to watch me implode, or something? Thanks to those earlier years, I have a matching set of bags under my eyes, and I never need to carry a map with me—I just follow the veins on my legs.  Yes, they were wonderful years.  No, they were not easy.  Often I was out at sea, sinking in toddlerism, while my kids were on shore, blithely climbing onto the counter to reach the knife set on top of the fridge.

Hand it Over

Don’t you just love to read the skin-care ads at this time of year?  They make me believe that, with a little moisturizer, even the Wicked Queen could have become Snow White in just a few days (actually, that woman had major problems—don’t think even Vaseline Intensive Scare would have done it for her).

Christmas - O Christmas tray, O Christmas tray

Here’s a carol to add to your collection.  The familiar tune should come to mind:

Devotions For Women - Are You Dressed Yet?

What woman doesn’t love getting new clothes?  O.K., so you’re in the miniscule minority that simply adores her wardrobe and wouldn’t change a thread, even if someone walked up to you on the street, handed you a wad of bills, and said, “Please, oh please go buy yourself some new clothes (and don’t spend it on groceries).”

How Do You Say That Again?

While talking with my husband the other night (we recently took up that hobby after our kids were older), he asked me this:  Had I ever thought about how many influential people have easy last names to pronounce?  (Unlike my name, Janke, which is rarely pronounced correctly).  Hudson Taylor, George Washington,  Bill Gates, are just a few.  … read more.

Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There

Don’t you love reading through the Bible, trying to picture the characters as real people?  Imagine Jacob’s sons in Exodus 42:1:  10 big guys, their food supply gone, and Dad has to tell them to stop looking at each other and get off the couch—we’re starving here!  I guess that was before McDonalds.

Devotions For Women - An Alarming Thought

Congratulations to those of you who can wake on command.  I, for one, must always depend on an alarm.  At one point in my life I had several, all going off at different times (but they are all grown now, so I’m back to one).

Please Move!

How often have you said, “Get out of the way!”?   (Of course, we always preface it with “Please”, don’t we?)  Multiply that by the number of children in the home, and you’ll get your answer.

You’re Olay as Young as Your Skin Cleanser

What is that? O.K., it’s not a box of Lego made…

What is that?  O.K., it’s not a box of  Lego made of Tupperware.  I should make you look it up...but I’ll have mercy and enlighten you, since I just learned the word myself.

Devotions For Women - All Thumbs?

Not many people have dainty big toes (unless you’re under, say…3 months old).  Angular, serviceable, black and blue, calloused, but not dainty.  But that’s OK-- they get the job done.  Without them, how would we keep our balance?  What would we stub if the front-line stubbee wasn’t there (all the other little guys, I guess). 

Ma’am, would you like help

Help?  Of course I’d like help. I’ve just stood in line for 45 minutes waiting for you.  I’ve just signed my name in blood for a cartload of food that will evaporate before I can recycle the plastic bags.  The heater in my car is dying.  My windows need washing because the sun is out.  I have a to-do list that, if wrapped around a cardboard spool, would out-size a roll of toilet paper.  It’s already noon, and I have four more stops before rushing home to make supper.  I don’t know if I’ll make it because every car in the city is on the road today, going 10 mph.  I need a complete set of mountain-climbing gear just to scale the load of laundry in front of my washing machine. It’ll take me 35 minutes to find my car in the parking lot, once I get out of this store.

I Have a Job for You

Can you imagine…

Moses, Aaron… I have a job for you.  You have already been in to see Pharaoh, and you have an idea of what you are up against.  I want my people out of Egypt, so you are going to confront Pharaoh again.  You are already like gods to him.  Now, you are going to perform some signs and wonders.  However, he is not going to be very impressed by what he hears.  Not only that, but he will harden his heart, so he does not do what you ask. We will be going through 12 rounds.  Any questions or problems with this on your end?  Good—let’s get started. … read more.