by Carole Duff | Oct 27, 2025 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
As a recovering perfectionist and workaholic, I often have to be reminded that our capacity comes not from us but from God. Here is a reminder from a friend, and an update since last year’s post about Isaiah 117. Marta’s capacity Summer of 2024, as Marta spoke to our...
by Carole Duff | Oct 20, 2025 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
The Velveteen Rabbit is a stuffed animal that wants to be real and, in some ways, already is through his human owner’s love. But when the boy contracts scarlet fever, the doctor orders the room disinfected and toys burned. Abandoned in a sack left outside in the...
by Carole Duff | Oct 13, 2025 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
Let me explain what happened at the Open Mic last Thursday evening as I read an excerpt of the essay that inspired my Friday Happy Hours on Substack. The essay is about marital growth, which can be stormy. Indeed, the scene I’d read last month was an all-out battle...
by Carole Duff | Sep 22, 2025 | Faith, Family, Writing and Reading |
Affection: a gentle feeling of fondness or liking. I’ve been thinking about affection with regards to how our society’s values have changed in my lifetime. The gentle blessings of faith, marriage and children, and mission have been replaced by the harsh goals of...
by Carole Duff | Sep 15, 2025 | Faith, Nature, Writing and Reading |
Pick a flower, cucumber, berries—um, maybe leave these small, tart cranberries on the viburnum for the birds. A pick in basketball or football—even a pick six. The picks we’ll examine today are more fundamental choices, major decisions in the spiritual realm. Pick:...
by Carole Duff | Sep 1, 2025 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
Last week, I looked behind, viewing 8mm family films from the early-to-mid 60s when I was between the ages of ten and sixteen. I saw my parents, grandparents, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, many now empty chairs. The girl I was couldn’t see the woman she would...
