I like to listen to podcasts when I walk in the morning.
Some mornings, I need to be quiet.
Some mornings, I am called to pray.
However, listening to something that teaches me as I walk is special indeed.

I was listening to Truth for Life, which is the teaching of Alistair Begg.
Alistair is the pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio.
That was my son’s church when he clerked in federal court and lived in Ohio for a year.
It is also the church where he met his wife.

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Three of us get together to pray.
It is a sweet time.
We trust each other.
We share each other’s burdens.

We do not meet on the same day each month.
Schedules often prohibit us getting together.
We have to go back and forth with a few texts before we find a day that works for each of us.
It is always worth the struggle it takes to coordinate.

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I had to run into the grocery store for a few things.
As I walked from my car to the entrance, I heard the beeping.
I looked around expecting to see a truck reversing in the parking lot.
There was no truck.

I wondered if it was someone’s car alarm.
All the cars I passed were silently parked in their space.
As I was walking, I saw a man pull out of a handicapped parking space.
He made such a wide turn that I had to get out of the way.

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My daughters and I had a mother/daughter day this past weekend.
We plan this special day every year.
We have done all sorts of things.
We have seen plays, a ballet, and took a carriage ride around Central Park.

This year we stayed fairly local.
A town nearby was having a Holiday Village Market.
Artisan and Vintage vendors set up small tents in the charming village.
Live music and fire pits to warm yourself in the cold were scattered about.

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It was time for my husband to bring it down from an upstairs closet.
It was purchased along with the other baby items when our first grandbaby was expected.
I wanted to have everything set up here to make it easy for my daughter and her husband.
I knew that whatever we bought would be used for all of our grandchildren, as God allows.

A crib, dressing table, swing, baby seat, and bathtub are all here for their use.
A stroller, car seats (both infant and toddler) are here as well.
Baskets with toys that my children played with, are in the back corner of our family room.
The one item that remained upstairs was the high chair.

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Did you ever think about how many signs you see each day?
Signs that inform.
Signs that heed warning.
Signs that point out a detour.

We are bombarded with signs that we must read as we go about our daily life.
Some we barely notice until it becomes necessary, like an EXIT sign.
Some we have to pay attention to, like road signs, street names, and route numbers.
Some are useful to us, such as the hours a store is open.

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Five months have gone by since the birth of our precious granddaughter.
Five months of growing and changing.
Five months of new discoveries and skills.
Five months of hugs and cuddles.

My sweet granddaughter has begun to eat cereal.
I remember the days of introducing solid food to my children.
I remember all the instructions that, as a new mother, I took to heart.
I followed our doctor’s guidelines as to how to introduce each new food, one at a time.

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Did you ever have a day when you feel as if you are constantly behind?
Everything you set out to do seems to have a detour.
Point A to Point B is not linear but rather goes through a million twists and turns.
The kind of day when you wish that you press replay and start over.

I was meeting a friend for breakfast.
I left the house before my husband since I wanted to get a few things done beforehand.
I rarely leave the house before 8:00 in the morning.
The traffic was much different than I am used to during the day.

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Every time I talk to a young boy or girl of reading age, I ask the same question.
What book are you reading?
They know that they are going to get that question from me.
Often, I know the book they are talking about; sometimes they have to describe it for me.

The question is not just a talking point.
The question is not just small talk.
The question is an important one.
It is an important question because reading is important.

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I have my own special place at the kitchen island.
It is the seat I always sit in when I have my breakfast.
It is the place where my children would always find me each morning.
It warmed my heart to know that they would turn their head and look for me there.

It is the place where I feed my body.
It is also the place where I feed my soul.
My children knew that my breakfast would be in front of me.
They also knew that my Bible would be in front of me as well.

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