EVERY MOMent COUNTS!
I am Karen Loritts. So far I have logged 319,680 hours as a wife to a wonderful husband and 302,400 hours as the mother of four (now-adult) children, with only a fraction of the time being the fun MiMi to five energetic, talkative grandchildren who are spread over 1,400 miles from my home! And I can’t forget my “grandpuppy” who belongs to my youngest—the only single in the family who insists on that title. Teacher, pastor’s wife, community volunteer, lunch date for girlfriends, and golf cart chauffeur for my golf-enthusiast hubby—all these titles seem to get wedged into my ever expanding to-do list. Life is so fun at this stage!
My weekly “To Do List” has no space for interruptions. Yet there are times when guilt motivates me to make space. Last Fall our church leadership launched a series on generosity: “Give ‘til it Helps!” So appropriate for the holiday season, I thought. I could give money to a worthy cause, empty my closets of [...]
Good manners are great gifts we give our children and one another. ”Hello,” “thank you,” and “goodbye” are words that may garner a good response or even crimp a smile on the face. Besides encouraging good manners, I generated a “Do Right List” of a few things that are just plain right to do. We taught our [...]
On television, the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” is among its top shows. The contestants’ cupcakes are judged on taste, presentation and creativity. The show has made cupcakes top billing in the last several years. Today you may find them at weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties, and among other celebrations. These delicacies may be on platters, on [...]
“Man Cave” — This is the sign in our son-in-law’s special room, designed by his wife. I smiled and took a peek inside. Pictures. Paintings. Sports memorabilia. Childhood relics. You get the idea that the room is the central location for his stuff with the priority of having a place of his own. I became [...]
My husband and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary! It doesn’t seem that long ago. We told a friend’s little daughter that we were celebrating our 40th anniversary, and with wide eyes, she gasped in disbelief! It was fun. So the question some have asked, what makes marriage work? I was raised by a single mom. [...]
I watch with excitement as our crepe myrtle trees bloom among the azaleas and as the cherry blossoms flutter like snow in the wind. The trees, bushes, and flowers “dress up” in spring. The smell of spring flowers and mowed grass is inviting, and even washing down the yellow pollen dust on my driveway is [...]
I attended five weddings this past year, all lovely and teary! As I listened to the couple exchange vows, I nodded in agreement. On May 22, 1971, my husband and I stood before our pastor, family, and friends and made those familiar wedding vows. “… To love and to cherish; in sickness and in health; for [...]
Our family is a diverse group, a pleasant mixture of races and cultures! It makes for a deep appreciation for each other and for God. Our interactions cause us to respect our differences. We all have a growing group of friends who cross the racial and cultural lines. We don’t all have the same skin [...]
Recently, someone gave me a small book about true worship — a little book with a big and powerful message. Worship, as defined, is showing reverence, admiration, or intense love for someone or something. I find that my greatest expression of worship is toward God and is regularly expressed at church service. My church attendance is an [...]
Our growing, young family is spread across three states, which makes gathering on Christmas day impossible. We have freed our adult children of the pressure to celebrate Christmas as in the past. It was a wise decision, even though we miss watching our grandchildren and their parents enjoy the day. We have settled on the [...]
