Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 78
February 28, 2016
How Now Shall We Love?
I don’t think I’m alone in wondering what to give the people I love. But, lately I have been pondering what I think is a more difficult question. How should I give to the people I love? What do I give those who don’t want anything from me? In those cases, how do I give […]
February 14, 2016
February 11, 2016
Fright or Light?
It lurks in the darkness, creeps along the edgings of panes, dangles just out of sight and reach. Yet, the sensitive follicles of our largest organ detect it first and raise a silent alarm. Our olfactory cilia smell it. Swallowing down any unpalatable bile, we pray no one else hears the rapid pulsing in our […]
January 31, 2016
They Will Know
A distinct memory and song have been playing through my mind this week. I am standing between my grandparents during a Sunday evening hymn sing. I am old enough to read words and music. But, as we sing, I do not understand how these words and this tune go together. The words speak of something […]
January 27, 2016
His Choice
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:16-17 In the Garden, God gives Adam and Eve a command with a choice. They choose temporary […]
January 25, 2016
No Choice
When my middle son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we learned many new terms. One of them was No Choice. Bedtime. No Choice. Bathroom. No Choice. Get Up. No Choice. But, like all of us, he believed he had a choice. He still does. Yet, No Choice is more about understanding some things […]
January 17, 2016
What Keeps Me Singing
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16 Every year I seek out new ways to study God’s Word. In 2015, I reveled in the words […]
January 16, 2016
Watch Out!
We are being robbed. Every day this fleeting perpetrator steals our money and influences our youth. We race to the next destination, congratulating ourselves for beating it. We apologize for letting it get away from us. But, it makes constant demands on us no matter how much we strive to manage it. We expect others […]
January 14, 2016
The Sweaters
A small stack of sweaters sits off to one side on my closet shelf. One is a boat-neck, striped, garter-stitch pattern in blue, white, and yellow. It hangs funny on me, and the shoulder seams are loose. I love this sweater. It is the first sweater I ever made. I finished it in time for […]
January 6, 2016
Dressed for Every Occasion
Recently, I arrived at an event to discover another woman and I wore similar outfits. We had not phoned one another to coordinate. We just picked the same items from our individual closets. To some, this could be seen as a fashion faux pas. But, in this case, it reminded me of something basic and…
