Whenever we go on a beach vacation, I like to walk in the early morning.
I am not a sun lover since I get sunburned much too easily.
I am not a person who can lounge at the beach for hours.
I like to watch the waves against the shore leaving shells and smooth stones for me to find.

I like to find an empty bench that is near a dock.
I can sit for quite a while, peaceful and still.
I watch as the water laps against the boards of the dock.
I have such a feeling of serenity when I am near the water.

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There he was.
Standing on the bridge.
The same bridge where I see the fishermen.
The same bridge where people often stop to take photographs.

The movement caught my eye.
He was leaning against the railing.
His arms were moving every which way.
In fact, his whole body was moving along with his arms.

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I found a dollar on my morning walk.
I always wonder why that is exciting to me.
It is not about the amount of the find.
It is just that it was found in an unexpected place.

If the dollar is on someone’s driveway or walkway, it is not to be taken.
If the dollar is in the middle of the street, it is difficult to claim.
I picked up the dollar and smiled to myself.
It was the thrill of the find.

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After two weddings last summer, two weeks apart, this is the spring of houses.
Each couple has purchased their first home.
My daughter and her husband just settled on their home.
They are thrilled to begin making memories there; they are eager to see what God will do.

Each couple knows that their house belongs to God.
It is truly His house.
The world will mockingly say, Well then, let God pay the mortgage.
Each couple can just smile, knowing that their jobs are God’s provision for them.

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It didn’t take me long to see that my younger son would be a drummer.
Even as a little boy helping me unload the dishwasher, I knew.
It was the glass lid to the corning ware dish that gave me a clue.
It was what happened when I put the lid on the island that gave it away.

The glass lid has a round glass handle.
When I inadvertently put the lid upside down on the island, it wobbled.
It wobbled back and forth quickly before slowing down and coming to a complete stop.
I turned my back for a minute and heard the wobbling sound again.

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I need to ice a tendon on my foot.
There is no pain, but the ice will help.
The wonderful chiropractor that I go to suggested the best way to apply the ice.
It was an ingenious idea.

Put a water bottle in the freezer.
Roll your foot back and forth over the water bottle.
That will be the best way to get the cold where it needs to go.
Make sure the water is in the water bottle.

We both laughed.

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If you really want to get on the wrong side of me there is one statement that will do it.
It is one I never heard in my house growing up, thank goodness.
However, it is one I heard other places as I was growing up.
I never understood it since that was not the way I was raised.

Children should be seen and not heard.

I still cringe whenever I hear it.
Usually it was said by an adult who wanted total control.
Usually it was said by an adult who did not believe that children had anything worthwhile to say.
It was a statement that reeked of propriety but no warmth.

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I went to bed well before midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Yes, I did.
The full house that we had for much of the holidays had emptied a bit.
Our youngest daughter had plans with her church friends.

It was going to be a quiet night.
However, my husband came down with a terrible cold.
I decided to un-decorate the house that day to keep busy.
By the time the dinner dishes were done and put away, I was tired.

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My youngest daughter surprised me.
She came home from college a day early for her Thanksgiving break.
It was a wonderful way to begin our Thanksgiving holiday.
She was grateful to sleep in because as an RA she needed the extra few hours.

After she got dressed, we went out.
I had to return a book at a book store.
However first, we went to a seasonal shop that I love to go to all through the year.
This time of year it is filled with everything Christmas.

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In a matter of hours it changed.
The day began with temperatures near 70 degrees.
It was unusual for late November.
It was not my favorite kind of fall day.

I like cold weather.
I can always get warm when I’m cold.
However, in the heat and humidity, I can never get comfortable.
Blankets and a cozy fire in the fireplace are my favorite things in the cold weather.

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