The photo is of Ed and me nearly 20 years ago. Drama or action movie? Chinese or Italian food? Spending or saving the latest paycheck? Sacrifice in a partnership means that I freely choose to give up something I want for the sake…
A few months ago, Ed and I sat on the back patio of our winter home in Tucson, Arizona, watching the changing tones of red and purple of the setting sun against Sabino Canyon, and reflecting on our life in the desert. “One of the…
Sometimes words spin around in my head and even spill out of my mouth before others have finished speaking. When I do that, I’m barely listening to them. It feels almost like I’m in a competition to get my thoughts out quickly to make…
My parents in 1951 In 1951, my parents Dr. John and Clara Schmidt founded and ran a leprosy station in Paraguay, South America. After 20 years of devoted service to ease the suffering of cast out untouchables, they were asked to leave. They’re gone now….
As a Christian, I grew up with the certain knowledge that salvation from hell could only come through believing in Jesus Christ as my savior. This is nothing unusual. Most of the world’s religions have some concept of heaven and hell and what it…
When I made the decision nearly 40 years ago to leave my first husband and father of my two children, many well meaning friends and family members lectured me, saying I needed to have the guts to stay in the relationship and make it…