The Storyteller | Mary Vee

photo by Mary Vee Winter has pillaged my neck of the woods.  Did you know that when temperatures dip sub zero it's too cold to snow? Snow is actually a sign that temperatures are warming. I'm an outdoor girl, but even these temps convinced me to hanker inside. The furnace has worked overtime duking it out with the sub zero temps outside and barely surviving. The thermostat, set for 65, hasn't eeked above 61 yet.  I say, in between chores, let's find a good book, a hot cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or tea, a comfy chair, and dive into a warmer place. If you need a suggestion, my holiday book, Anders' Redemption is available in paperback and ebook to read right now. This photo was sent to me from a reader. Seemed the best photo for today's post, don't you agree?  Here is the link:  Amazon An advantage to ebooks is you can buy them and read them within in minutes... and stay warm. This post has been brought to you by

It was a night to remember. A night to tell friends about. So I am... Fifty men, women, and teens rode in busses on icy expressways into the inner city. They poured out of the bus at a homeless shelter unsure where to go, what to do, or what to say. One led the pack through the main doors, pass security checkpoints, and on through winding hallways to a large room. At night, this room is filled, wall to wall, with cots, blankets, and at this time of year, cold homeless men, women, and children. On this evening before the night, hundreds of chairs formed straight rows and faced a platform.   The fifty set up sound and instrument equipment. Singers cozied in the limited platform space. Instrumentalists tuned their instruments.  A few residents poked their heads in the door. Intrigued, they came in and watched the first measures of several songs start, stop, start again. Microphone levels adjusted. The singers laughed. Chattered. The group stepped off to the side and waited f

I am sitting in a coffee shop writing this post and heard two patrons sitting at a table next to me talking about a friend who couldn't possibly change. The person's future had been "etched in stone". The conversation bothered me. I guess, I'm the sort who feels it is never too late to change.  Careers have begun late in life. Retirement funds set aside late in life. PhD graduates have become taxi drivers. Truck drivers become professors. Yeah. I had a problem with the conversation. Their words brought me to today's winning topic for our discussion. Google Maps Today we will jet to Cambodia for an inspiring story. In a country where the low temperatures are in the 70's and the highs in the 90's, one wouldn't consider this a training ground for a winter sport. Surprise, Cambodia now has winter sports training. In the capital city, Phnom Penh, there is now a professionally groomed ice rink. It is the only one in the entire c

Hubby and I had the annual Christmas talk. The one that starts:  "So, honey, what do you want for Christmas?" And  continues  with, this response: "I don't know." And so, the games began. Neither one of us wants to confess the dream, number one Christmas gift.  There are several reasons for this.  1. The dream gift is uber expensive. 2. The dreamer doesn't trust the purchaser to find and buy the right one. 3. There isn't enough time to arrange/find/get the dream gift. 4. The dreamer feels guilty about asking for that item. Sigh.  I have no clue what hubby would like for Christmas. From our first Christmas celebrated as a married couple, we've chosen to have a birthday party for Jesus. Knowing that the money to buy the gifts came from God, we honored Him with a celebration rightfully belonging to Him. Hubby and I buy balloons, have a birthday cake, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, decorate our home with a Christmas