Francine Rivers's Blog, page 18
December 1, 2014
Cultivating Gratitude
Alas, Thanksgiving is over. The turkey and all the trimmings have been gobbled, the dishes washed and put away. The children and grandchildren have all gone home and the mums on the front steps are wilting in the rain. The house echoes with conversations and laughter. Sigh.
Then I remember:
Thanksgiving is far from over. It’s not just one day a year when we gather around a feast and talk about the blessings we’ve experienced over the past year. It is a state of mind that can remain with us each and every day.
November 21, 2014
Still Enjoying South Africa
It’s been a couple of weeks since we returned home from South Africa, but we’re still talking about the many things we enjoyed.
Sua du Plessis from Christian Arts took us to Moyo, a restaurant across the street from the hotel in Melrose Arch. Moyo is Swahili and means “soul”. Sua ordered for us, knowing we were all eager for a foodie adventure. The evening was a feast of the senses; African music, the cool evening air, the stars coming out, the smell and taste of great food.
November 14, 2014
Shamwari Photo Safari
Chris and Ems Johnsen of Christian Art Distributors flew Karen Watson, Rick and I to Port Elizabeth, where they rented a van and we drove an hour to the bushveld of Shamwari. Oh, my, we saw giraffes in the distance! I didn’t expect to see animals so soon. In fact, I thought we would be fortunate to see animals at all. As we pulled up to the gate into the compound, I noticed the electric fencing and thorn-bush mounded as another barrier. There were springboks grazing in the field!
November 2, 2014
South Africa Adventure
Seeing South Africa has been a dream of mine for a long time. Rick has been there three times, always on business, and never saw more than the airport, scenery flashing by a taxi window and the inside of a hotel. When we received an invitation from Chris Johnson at Christian Art Distributors to come for a visit, we jumped at it.
October 31, 2014
From Worrier to Warrior
Five minutes of watching a news program or reading a newspaper and one thing pops out about people. Americans are drunk on worry. The list of what we fear is long and varied: climate change, illegal immigrants coming over the borders, terrorist cells popping up like tares among the wheat. We worry about the rising costs of health care, housing, food. Californians worry about the drought, while other areas of our country are suffering record snow fall and floods. We fear pain and discomfort. Just watch the commercials coming at you during your
October 24, 2014
(un)Common Courtesy
I’m having trouble watching the news these days. I am so tired of men and women commentators trying to talk over each other. Interrupting someone used to be considered rude; now it’s the name of the game. Each side is so busy trying to get their viewpoint across they never hear what the other side is saying. It’s not a discussion; it’s not even a debate. It’s a free-for-all.
October 17, 2014
Animals Among Us
Rick and I live in town. It takes five to ten minutes to drive to the supermarket, the mall, post office, bank and hospital (a nice thing to know with the march of time and years). One of the main boulevards people use to get from one side of town to the other is two blocks away. Few seem to care about the posted 35-40 mph until John Law is on their tail flashing his or her red lights. Cars aside, lots of people are out walking their dogs or by themselves. Some are running or cycling up and down the hills, getting or staying in shape. Even with all this h
October 15, 2014
American Idols
One idol that periodically troubles me is food. Or maybe it’s weight. My mother got on the scale every day of her life and adjusted what she ate according to the numbers. It sounds obsessive, but she was health conscious because she had been very ill with tuberculosis in her twenties. I saw a picture of her in a bathing suit and said, “Wow, Mom. You were so slim.” Her response: “I wasn’t slim. I was sick and skinny.” She wanted to maintain a healthy weight.
October 3, 2014
Bible Study Fellowship
I got into the “Life of Moses” BSF class!
September 26, 2014
The Grand Canyon
I read a story the other day about an expedition that traveled the Colorado River into the Grand Canyon. About halfway in, the explorers hit dangerous rapids. Some of the explorers were thrown from the boats and died in the turbulent waters. Others managed to make it to the riverbank. The river ahead looked threatening with more rapids. The decision of what to do was split. Some decided to turn around and go back. Some decided to forge ahead. The two groups went their separate ways. Those who went forward did meet more dangerous rapids –
