Recently, my mother retired after 38 years of teaching, a journey she began at 20 years old. We grew up in a home where both our parents worked. Much of our time was spent at our grandparents’ (mother’s parents) home. Where our unmarried uncles and aunts cared for us, since both our school and my …
I have been spending the month of March in Illinois with grandbabies. For a couple of weeks, it was the two energetic toddlers, a 20-month-old and an almost 4-year-old girl and boy, respectively. Then, little Greta made her appearance in the world, late, but beautiful and perfect. Being a grandmother, I somehow feel old. Being …
Once upon a Sunday morning in 1987, a car drove along a windy road in the Oregon countryside, the smell of wheat in the field, and the water flowing swiftly by in the irrigation ditch right beside the single lane road. It was a quiet day, and no one was around, when all of a …
I’m standing at the bottom of the towers looking straight up. I stare for a fewminutes and then say, “Daddy they look like they’re falling.” Kissing the Sky When I was small, my family took a trip to New York that I recall very little of, butwhat I do remember sticks in my memory constantly, …
One of my favorite childhood memories is going with my father to the Bazaar on Sunday afternoons. It was always alive—vendors selling seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, dry fruits, household goods, meat products, clothing, and countless other essentials. It was exciting to walk through the colorful stalls, browsing and exploring. We often had to park …
Good afternoon, ladies, I am sure you have noticed a bit of a change. Starting in the New year, Mustard Trees now has an article every 2 weeks, instead of weekly. Please stick in their with us. It will be good encouraging content to motivate us to be more like Jesus as Christian women. Later …
It’s my birthday. I won’t say my age, but it’s a slight bit over 30. It’s hard to imagine I am turning 31, when all three of my children will be older than their mother! As a kid, our birthdays were never a big event; in fact, I don’t think I had a birthday party …
New Year, New You!It’s catchy. It’s marketable. And it plays on the natural dissatisfaction that we all feel. I often feel disappointed in myself. You may sympathize… I am my own greatest critique. As the winter chill wears off, spring opens new. It quickly gives way to summer heat, and before I know what has …
A New Year awaits us on Thursday, what will this new year bring? Much of this depends on you and your mindset. Will you have a renewed love and purpose since God in His mercy has given you life in this new year? As I get older, I remember this quote, “aging is a privilege …
Every December, billions of dollars change hands as people buy gifts for friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. In the United States alone, Christmas spending now exceeds $1 trillion annually, with Christmas gift-giving in gift cards, decorations, gadgets, clothing, and luxury items accounting for a significant portion of that figure. Some argue the tradition of gift-giving …
