Janet Benlien Reeves

Grief is the house left vacant once parents have moved out, moved on to their eternal home without you— for now Grief is the crib left vacant when life anticipated departs before taking breath, or soon after, taking yours with it Grief is the room left vacant when a child declares independence too young, rejecting all faith and family offered for launch Grief is the vacancy a for-sale sign can’t fill * * * I wrote this post for the Five-Minute Friday Link-Up. Click  here  to read other writers' posts on today's prompt:  vacant . Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

Historic downtown. A place of magic when one’s seeking unique. I went today to claim my father’s birthday gift, the one I noted six months ago while window shopping with my brother. A handcrafted ornament of Garry oak honoring Navy Seabees of which my dad was one. I parked blocks away to enjoy the walk, surprisingly lonely for 9:30 a.m. The district was ghost-town empty except for one Hawaiian-shirt clad man standing talking through a car’s open window to the married couple inside. He was asking for prayer for his wife beginning some new venture. They assured him they’d be praying. I prayed, too, having overheard the request. Serendipitous (and unintentional) eavesdropping. Perhaps I was meant to hear, add a covert fourth to their two or three gathered in His name. Reaching the entrance to the small indoor mall, a sign declared my intended destination open today. I entered the building, turned left. The sign on the shop’s door said, “Open! Come on in.” Door locked, lights out, no v...

Because Today is Not January 1 (and This List is Not Limited to 2025) 1.       Play more often. 2.       Refuse to complain. 3.       Give God thanks. 4.       Thank some people. 5.       Seek answers. 6.       Make sure they’re true 7.       Pray always. 8.       Show your spouse and children what they mean to you. 9.       Make sure they believe it. 10.   Smile more. 11.   Help somebody. 12.   Learn to communicate well. 13.   Be confident. 14.   Let yourself be less than perfect. 15.   Analyze less. 16.   Clean something. 17.   Learn something new. 18.   Relax. 19.   Complete a project. 20.   Write a book. 21.   –or a poem. 22.   –and a poem. 23.   Gi...

“For dust you are and to dust you will return."  — Genesis 3:19 b "The time has come,"  [Jesus]  said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"  — Mark 1:15 Ash Wednesday is a day for reflection, repentance, and mourning sin. In Mass services held on this day, priests quote either Genesis 3:19 or Mark 1:15 as they make a mark of ash in the shape of a cross on each congregant's forehead. Both verses are perfect for the thoughts associated with this day. Ash Wednesday's ashes symbolize two things. First, they remind us of the penalty for sin — ”to dust you will return”  (Genesis 3:19 b ). They also symbolize the Bible times' tradition of sitting in the ashes and putting them on one's head when mourning or repenting. The following passages give examples: 2 Samuel 13:19 , Esther 4:1 , Job 2:8 , Daniel 9:3 , and Matthew 11:21 . But Mark 1:15 shows us we don't have to sit in the ashes, mourning sin forever. Jesus invites...

Don’t tell me the plan you make. Show me the plan you complete. For a plan without feet is paralyzed. Make your plan. Build your plan. Then give it calloused feet. * * * Jesus told a parable about two sons whose father asked each to go work in the family vineyard ( Matthew 21:28-32 ). The first son said, “No.” But then he changed his mind and went. The second son said, “Yes.” But he did not follow through. Jesus asked the crowd, “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (v. 31). The crowd identified the first son. Jesus then told the religious leaders of the day that tax collectors and prostitutes, the outcasts of the day, would enter God's Kingdom before they would. Why? The Father told the people to repent and believe. The religious leaders made a show of being spiritual, yet they did not do what God told them to do. They had no faith in Jesus. On the other hand, the tax collectors and prostitutes that Jesus was talking about did not appear to be candidates for G...

  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’” –Matthew 25:34 NIV   The Initial Blessing When I read this verse this morning, the word bless jumped right out at me. I prayed, “Bless me, Father. I can’t wait for the day when you call me to come to You!” Then I added, as I always do when reminded of the last days, “But I will wait because so many more need to come to You.” I started praying for God to bless everyone I know who hasn’t come to know Jesus as Savior yet. When God says, “Come,” I want them all to hear that call. My prayer was like that of a young child at bedtime: “Please bless this person and that person and this other person and don’t forget this person.” I named one after another, asking God to bless them with knowledge of Himself.   The Greater Blessing Next, remembering Jabez ( 1 Chronicles 4:10 ), I asked God to ...