My first New Year’s Eve in America was frustrating, at best. As a newlywed, I was excited to spend New Year’s Eve with my new husband, celebrating in style. Originally from Brazil, I was used to the “Réveillon” celebrations, widely famous for parties that last through the morning hours, while beautiful people glamorously dressed in white crowd the beaches to watch magnificent fireworks. As it happened, my husband announced that he had to be in bed by 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. As an Continue Reading
Looking Beyond the Christmas Tree {Atlanta Journal Constitution Column}
On Dec. 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, two brothers made history that would change the world forever. That was the day Orville and Wilbur Wright were finally successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground for the first time. Their self-propelled, gasoline-powered biplane stayed aloft for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet on its inaugural flight. Excited about their long-awaited accomplishment, Orville rushed to telegraph a message to their sister Katharine: “Success four Continue Reading
Word-Only Religion = Useless, Ineffective, Hypocritical {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
I read a story during my morning devotional this week that brought conviction to my heart. The anecdote touched me even more because it spoke of a subject that I had just been tested on the day before: steadfast kindness. It’s the story of an old man who always carried a small can of oil wherever he went. If he came across a door that squeaked, he would squirt a little oil on the hinges. If he tried to enter a gate that was rusty and hard to open, he would promptly oil the latch. Everywhere Continue Reading
Sometimes Gratitude Is Changing Perspective {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
“For several minutes, we both sat silently watching the gulls soar overhead, listening to the surf break on the beach. Then Jones began to gather the empty cans and place them in the plastic bag. Standing, he extended his hand and helped me to my feet. ‘Incidentally,’ he said with a smile, ‘you ate sardines and Vienna sausages in the sand. I dined on surf and turf with an ocean view.’ He slapped me on the back. ‘It’s all about perspective.’” The text above is an excerpt from one of the most Continue Reading
Find Purpose While Sharing God’s Love {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
Not long ago, I had a conversation with a lady in her 70s, who is suffering from depression because one of her daughters is absent from her life. This daughter is alive and well, but she chooses not to participate in her mother’s life, even though she lives close. Almost every time I talk to this mother, the conversation turns to the pain and suffering that she is experiencing with her daughter’s absence. And every single time, my advice to my friend is the same. “You cannot help other Continue Reading
Proclaiming Our Faith to the Next Generation {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic and philosopher who, together with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England. His literary works greatly influenced both English and American literature in the beginning of the 19th century. The son of the well-respected Rev. John Coleridge, Samuel became known in the Victorian period as one of the most important apologists for the liberal Anglican point of view. Although Coleridge himself Continue Reading
