It has always been true that the world has a way of catching us off guard. Many of us like to think we have our life in control. Especially if we were fortunate enough to be born into a comfortable middle-class family, we have been taught to work hard and life will reward you. Pestilence, … Continue reading Sabbatical Series: Lessons Learned Through Loss
It has always been true that the world has a way of catching us off guard. Many of us like to think we have our life in control. Especially if we were fortunate enough to be born into a comfortable middle-class family, we have been taught to work hard and life will reward you. Pestilence, … Continue reading Sabbatical Series: How to Keep Standing
It has always been true that the world has a way of catching us off guard. Many of us like to think we have our life in control. Especially if we were fortunate enough to be born into a comfortable middle-class family, we have been taught to work hard and life will reward you. Pestilence, … Continue reading Sabbatical Series: Music’s Magic Healing Place
It has always been true that the world has a way of catching us off guard. Many of us like to think we have our life in control. Especially if we were fortunate enough to be born into a comfortable middle-class family, we have been taught to work hard and life will reward you. Pestilence, … Continue reading Sabbatical Series: Finding Personal Equilibrium in a Chaotic World
Easter morning, fair skies, beautiful sunshine! Seemingly the perfect day. But this was not like Easter mornings my family and I had experienced in the past. My 52-year-old husband and the father of our three adult children was in the Hospice Care Unit of our local downtown hospital. His body which had been vibrant, moving, … Continue reading No Longer Hungering Nor Thirsting
When we feel our gut rumbling, most of us—if we are fortunate enough to have a full pantry—respond by getting something to eat! And when our throat feels parched, we instinctively reach for a drink. But do we recognize hunger and thirst of the soul? Does your spirit just feel like something is missing and … Continue reading Satisfying Hunger and Thirst
If your gift list includes youngsters who are beginning explorers in the wonderful world of reading, my latest children's books will instruct in a delightful way. Perfect for spring holidays, end-of-school graduation/recognition ceremonies, birthdays, and fill-in-the gap summer reader/activity books. For those recipients who live close by, have the books sent directly to you so … Continue reading Nonny Day books for Spring!
The little girl in the photo playing the piano is me, Connie Carlisle. I’m about ten years old. My Dad and I are in our basement in the Churchill Downs neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky. It is one of the many houses my family called home in this part of the city. This old upright piano … Continue reading If My First Piano Could Talk…
One of the things the now two-year-old COVID-19 pandemic has taken from those individuals who have found themselves isolated from family and friends is not only actual personal visits or personal interactions but the thrill of anticipation of that happening. These individuals might include those who live in a private room in a nursing facility. … Continue reading The Thrill of Anticipation
Maybe you have a neighbor, friend, or relative who has the key(s) to your home or business. This is the person you want to watch over your property when you are away and notify you if something is not quite right. I’m going to share with you a story I happened to see on television … Continue reading Hold Onto My Keys While I’m Gone
The grapevine when it is bursting with royal purple grapes against large emerald-green heart-shaped leaves is just about as pretty as any fruit on any fruit tree. And wine made from these luscious berries feels equally at home at an elegant dinner party, for a casual event or on a church communion table. But before … Continue reading Message of the Grapevine–Pass It On!
In December 2021 I participated in an hour and a half ZOOM meeting with two educators as they led a hands-on pie-baking activity with Baranof Elementary School students and their families in Sitka, Alaska. And the wonderful part of that for me was that they were using the recipe from my children’s reader Sweet Potato … Continue reading Wonderful Thank You Gifts from Sitka, Alaska!
We are living in a time when it is very difficult to know what truth is, or perhaps it has always been that way. I recently reread George Orwell’s novel 1984 written and published in 1949. I read it for the first time in the 1960s; so I, as well as Orwell, was looking into … Continue reading Truth or Lies–Is it Possible to Know?
The blog posts in my Who Is Jesus Series define Jesus in His own words: “the bread of life,” “the light of the world,” “the door,” “the good shepherd” and today, “the resurrection and the life.” All are teachings of Jesus found in God’s Holy Word as the Gospel of John presents them. As a … Continue reading Who Is Jesus? The Resurrection and the Life
My Who Is Jesus Series has included thus far three descriptions of Jesus: ‘the bread of life,’ ‘the light of the world,’ and ‘the door’ or ‘the gate.’ All the descriptions of Jesus that we are examining in this series come from the Gospel of John from God’s Holy Word. Each definition helps us to … Continue reading Who Is Jesus? The Good Shepherd
How do you access the various places you go during the week? Whether we are going into our home; a place where we work, attend class, or enjoy ourselves; where we buy our daily necessities; or our house of worship—most likely we pass through a door. Even if we go to some of these places … Continue reading Who Is Jesus? The Door
Before I address the question of who Jesus is, maybe I should tell you briefly who I am and what might qualify me to ask you, my readers, to trust my thoughts on the subject. I am not academically trained in Bible studies nor ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic—the languages of the Dead Sea Scroll … Continue reading Who Is Jesus? The Light of the World
When someone asks who you are, what do you say? Maybe just your first name. Or perhaps your first and last name. Or you may even add your job description depending on where you are when the question is asked. God in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible identified Himself to Moses with a … Continue reading Who Is Jesus? The Bread of Life
I don't know if the monetary value or the number of your Christmas, Hanukkah, or other Winter Holiday presents was different this year than in years past. Perhaps your financial situation has been insecure due to the ramifications of the spread of Coronavirus-19 and its variants. Maybe you are feeling down that you could not … Continue reading The Best Presents: Family and Friends
As I was recently going through some old family documents, I came across a United States Postal Service first class stamp with the denomination of six cents. “Wow!” I thought. “When I sent a Christmas card this year, the cost was fifty-eight.” The stamp had never been used to send a piece of mail, but … Continue reading In the Beginning…
The seasons of Christmas and Easter are intimately related. Below you will find a video of my song of praise for all seasons, "Sing Hallelujah, Give Him Your Heart." It tells the story of the birth and life of Jesus in a way that is understandable to children as well as adults. Along with the … Continue reading A Song for All Seasons: Sing Hallelujah, Give Him Your Heart
Last week I met via Zoom with two educators—Ms. Kari and Ms. Jasmine—plus student/family participants in a 4-H Sweet Potato Pie Making Project in Sitka, Alaska. My daughter and tech support Eve Carlisle Polley joined me. It proved to be a delightful, fast-paced hour and fifteen-minute get-together joining Sitka and Louisville (over 2,500 miles). Eve … Continue reading Nonny says Hello to Sitka, Alaska Families! (Zoom Meeting for Cooking, Chatting, and Having Fun)
Some of you may be thinking, “What in the world is a house for Toddler Jesus?” Let me give you some background information before I jump into telling you how my two school age granddaughters and I recently made a little cardboard and popsicle stick house. We are going to use it at Christmastime alongside … Continue reading A House for Toddler Jesus
Dear Nonny's Blog Readers, I'm excited to share with you the news that the Sitka School District in Alaska will be using my book Sweet Potato Pie, Oh My! as a part of a sweet potato pie kit giveaway. The school district is distributing to fifty Sitka students and their families a kit with all … Continue reading Nonny’s Books are headed to Alaska! (New Project with Sitka School District)
English—“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 NIV (The Holy Bible, New International Version 2011) Français—<<Dites merci au SEIGNEUR, car il est bon, et son amour est pour toujours!>> Psaume 107:1 PDV (La Sainte Bible, Parole de Vie 2017) Español—<<Den gracias al Señor, porque él es bueno, … Continue reading Give Thanks!
Spot The Turkeys is an outdoor game my family has played while celebrating the Thanksgiving season. You could easily adapt it to other times of the year as Spot The Santas, Spot The Easter Bunnies, etc. Use your imagination to come up with other variations and have fun! Can you spot the post-holiday-meal napper? Not everyone … Continue reading Enjoy a Holiday Game
One of my climbing red rose bushes last year developed a really thick stem with huge prickly thorns for practically its entire length of about four feet. That started me to think about the thorns we are enduring in our daily lives which have been turned topsy-turvy in 2020 and 2021 as we react to … Continue reading Enduring Thorns
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