By Carol McClain @carol_mcclain According to Psychology Today, (http://bit.ly/2sRBIR0), gratitude improves relationships. Can you imagine why? While sitting in the teacher’s room, a colleague and I had an agreeable conversation between grading papers. In came “Bud.” He never had a positive thing to say. “Bellyache, bellyache…” My friend had the good fortune to need hearing aids. …[ read more ]

By Carol McClain @carol_mcclain You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Ps. 23:5 We live our lives denying the fact they will end. Or else, we expect, as Christians, that our lives will be pain-free if we have the right combination …[ read more ]

By Carol McClain @carol_mcclain In Everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:18 Prior to Thanksgiving, our pastor preached about Adam and Eve. He posited that ingratitude caused their downfall. This slant on the well-worn episode made me think. God gave this duo everything but… They …[ read more ]

By Carol McClain @carol_mcclain In Everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes. 5:18 I know. Thanksgiving passed. Now the final, crazy, stressful days leading to Christmas arrived. Who has room for thankfulness when the seasonal insanity is full throttle? For that matter, those of us who …[ read more ]

By Carol McClain:  @carol_mcclain There was a time when I knew prayer. The Bible describes prayer as wrestling  or striving or fervency or laboring… and lots of other words implying working hard at it. I used to rise before my daughter woke so I could have at least and hour in prayer. I picked up my guitar and …[ read more ]