By MARIANNE WOOD I have arrived. No, not at heaven’s gate. And not at some new success level, but yes, to a special status: a church lady, the kind of woman who cooks for, cries with, and cradles her church. The church ladies of my youth held tea parties and decorated the sanctuary for different seasons. In modest dresses and
Read moreBy MARIANNE WOOD Ephesians 5:15-16 says “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. (NIV) The NKJ versions translates “make the most of every opportunity” as “redeeming the time.” Colossians 4:5 says “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of
Read moreBy MARIANNE WOOD Oscar Wilde satirized Victorian behavior in his comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest. The chief character, Ernest, who is only Ernest in the city and known as Jack in the country, is obviously neither earnest nor serious. Ditto for the play. Though it is a delight. Reading J.D. Vance’s article, “How I joined the Resistance” in The
Read moreBy MARIANNE WOOD My friend Susan Englerth reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman, she who is referred to as “The Wife of Noble Character” in the Old Testament. For evidence I offer that her husband adores her; we can see that. She is strong and trades profitably. Ask her about a certain sailboat deal! And I have no doubt
Read moreBy MARIANNE WOOD Obituaries, often called simply, “obits,” offer readers a rich trove of stories. But their main purpose, providing family and friends a way to publicly honor a departed loved one with a quick depiction of a person’s life, usually features a photo and three to many paragraphs of biographical information. These brief to ponderously long works of non-fiction
Read moreBy Marianne Wood Like many, I’ve read lots of books and essays on prayer. Writers have definitely taken on this task for good reasons. And they have been helpful. Right now I’m enjoying Paul Miller’s A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. I’m learning that “prayer is meant to be the conversation where your life and your
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Editor’s Note: March is Women’s History Month. Marianne Wood writes about three women of influence from her childhood neighborhood. By MARIANNE WOOD Though life on the street I grew up on in the 1960s was far from perfect, the families living there had each other’s backs in many ways. Discipline was one of them. If you broke a rule at
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Editor’s Note: Agnes Stone died in 2017 at age 102, but she will not be forgotten. A friend, Marianne Wood, wrote the following piece 10 years before Stone’s death. In it, Wood reflects on a woman of faith. “I went to see her shortly before she passed. I knew it would be my last visit, and told her I loved
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Spirit Of Abilene 