Who am I? So many labels can be applied to any of our lives. I'm a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, a pastor's wife, an author, mother, grandmother, musician, and blogger, and podcaster. "Beyond Common Sense" is a place where I share "Lessons Learned While Walking with Jesus." I have found that not only is God everywhere, but He teaches us through our experiences and common, ordinary examples from His world. From the inchworm to the tragedy of my husband's fall, all of these hold timeless truths handed to us by our heavenly Father to draw us closer to Him. How wonderful! What a privilege to share some of those lessons... with you!
Dear Tilly is my rototiller. She’s not actually mine – I’m just ‘borrowing’ her from my mom! I remember Dad faithfully using Tilly every year for Mom. (He didn’t know her name though! 🙂 ) I guess it’s the farm girl in me, but I love to put on my dungarees (I just love that … More Ode to Tilly
It is 1843. A weary mother sits in her one room log cabin in the back woods of Virginia. She attends church when the itinerate preacher comes to her “neck of the woods.” She works hard to keep her little cabin clean, her children fed and her husband happy. At times she wonders what life … More “…for such a time as this”
”Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Ps 55:22 Are you suffering from the Elijah syndrome? You know: you’ve seen great victory in battle; joy fills your heart; and then, down to pity party pit you go! Your life mirrors the latest … More Joy in Serving Jesus
Have you every squished something between two pieces of glass in order to view it through a microscope? It’s amazing to watch the substance spread out thin so you can see right through it. It may be a drop of swamp water – that’s always amazing to see all the critters swimming about completely unaware … More A Tribute to Bob Jones University
This morning I received the very sad news of a college friend’s death. She had been battling cancer, and left behind her husband and two teen sons. How tragic! She had accomplished so much in her lifetime; I always felt intimidated by her success. Now, she’s gone – I can’t seem to comprehend it. How … More Life and Death
Where is your focus? We’d all like to say that we are focused on Jesus Christ, but if we are honest and check our focus barometer, we will see that there are MANY other items that take our focus away from the Master. Does the object of our focus matter? Many of you may … More F O C U S !
Last fall my husband and I had a wonderful get-away-time at Cape May, NJ. It was in October, so the beach was very quiet. Our hotel sat right on the beach which gave us a side view of the ocean. (Front view rooms were way too expensive. I really think the hotel should have been … More Eight Dollar Teapot
There he stands, facing the enemy. His uniform is in tatters, his weapon is hot from use. They’ve all left him – alone to face the enemy. Maybe the battle was too fierce for them, or maybe they just got tired – whatever the cost, they are gone, and he stands alone. This blog is … More Lone Soldier
“And they leaped upon the altar…and they cried aloud, and cut themselves…” (1 Kings 18 26,28) This verse sounds like much of what goes on today under the name of worship. Do you wonder about the Israelites and how quickly they left the true and living God for the false gods of their day? Why … More Satan’s Counterfeit
As the temperature dropped to 12° this morning and the warmth from the basement wood stove didn’t seem to make it all the way to our room, I was cold when I hopped out of bed! (I don’t usually hop, but cold has a way of making you move faster!) After a morning chat with … More HOT! HOT! HOT!
