Wow! After Mom died, I found a Loveman’s box in the bottom of her cedar chest. (In Chattanooga, Loveman’s was an exclusive store.) Mom wrapped contents in tissue, and I was thrilled so see what she valued so much. As I eased back the crinkly paper, Mom’s wedding dress lay on the top. A fancy white nightgown along with an elegant slip, lacy panties, and matching bra lay underneath. What a treasure.

Cynthia interviews Tiffany Colter about how to keep that commitment during the hard times. Tiffany Colter is Writing Career Coach.http://writingcareercoach.com/

I’m sick of cold weather. This time of year trees should sprout and roses develop buds. But more than anything, I’m weary of the spiritual darkness that’s enveloping this nation. We desperately need a spiritual spring time. Just as surely as God makes the sap rise in the trees and the grass start to grow, he’s at work in his church.  For example, in the late 1600s a minister named Samuel preached, taught and prayed with diligence. Every ounce of his soul longed for revival and he brought that desire before the Lord each day. The people of his parish...

It was all wrong. A musician from the church down the street plunked out the sounds on our ancient upright piano. The tinny notes of the wedding march rang out through our tiny house. My grandmother made her way into the living room on the arm of my solemn uncle.  A gray-headed pastor and an auburn-haired man awaited them. Everyone’s old. And Granny’s not dressed in white.  The minister opened a book and read. I stared, making no sound. Weddings should be in church. Brides shouldn't be gray or wrinkled. They must dress in long fancy gowns. An uncle shouldn't escort the bride. Nothing...

Recently my son had a business trip. Rather than navigate an unknown city with maps, he borrowed my GPS. He placed it in his checked luggage on his return trip. The morning after his arrival, he went through his suitcase to return it, but found the GPS unit and the car charger missing. Since he didn’t report it within four hours, the airline said they had no liability.   How frustrating! We must leave our suitcases unlocked so that they can be examined for explosives. Any airport employee or dishonest TSA agent can snatch whatever they please. I was particularly...

    Daddy, I can’t stop thinking of you. Today you would’ve turned 88. We won’t celebrate, but I will remember. Momma used to say I could convince you to do anything. The year I went to first grade, she found you putting me to bed instead of driving me to school. You told her I didn’t feel well, but Mother refused to believe I was sick. When she told the story, she’d roll her eyes and say, “I told him there wasn’t a thing wrong with her. Cindy just wanted to stay home. That child has her daddy around...

“They should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for him, and find him, though he [God] is not far from all of us. For in him we live and move and exist…” Acts 17:27-28 Sometimes life spins out of control. That’s how I felt four years ago when my husband lay in an intermediate intensive care unit. After a sudden seizure, I rushed him to the hospital where doctors diagnosed encephalitis and pneumonia. His level of consciousness continued to sink and his temperature kept going up. A chill crept over me as I realized the doctors couldn’t control the...

I noticed a tightness around Ray’s mouth. His shoulders twitched, and his smile was stiff. “Here, this is for you.” He handed me some paper as he sat down beside me on the church pew. A bright splash of flowers spread across the front of the handmade card.  He’d cleverly taped several photos together for the front and back. The inside was notebook paper bearing a penciled flower. A brief note proclaimed his message: As spring had arrived he had fallen in love with a beautiful girl—me! I kept a placid expression on my face. This required thought. My heart...

Mom, I’ve been thinking of you. Today as I cleaned up your house, I picked up a bag of things to go through, and I found a graying box with a rubber band around it. When I opened it, there sat a little green book, “The Story of Our Baby.”  It made me smile. Tears began to flow as I flipped through and let myself remember. You kept cards from my first birthday, the tag I wore in the hospital, and a cutting of my hair. You carefully listed my height and weight each time I went to the doctor....