Susan Perelka

I noticed a soft glow radiating from her face as I crossed the room to join her at the table. As we shared our meal, I learned this glow was the result of joy in being with Jesus, of setting aside the hard into His hands, of moving forward, of drawing near to Him. Leaving…

Vibrations shook my phone drawing attention to a new text message that had just come in. Seeing her name, I quickly clicked on the text she sent to our group. For the better part of a year, this sweet friend has weathered difficulty after difficulty. As I read her lengthy text, I could hear the…

Have you ever really thought about the word “thanks”? We focus on giving thanks Thanksgiving Day, but for the most part, we do give thanks on a daily basis. We say thanks when someone holds a door for us or when bags of groceries are carried in from the car. We like to give thanks…

Feeling my kitty slink past my legs, I watch knowing she is on the prowl. I have not spied what she sees on our patio, so I watch. Soon, I see a chipmunk scurrying about, looking for food to eat among the fallen leaves. The watch becomes more intense as the chipmunk climbs onto the…

Sometimes God takes us through circumstances in life that simply don’t make sense. I am sure this is how Hosea felt when God asked him to take a woman to be his wife who was a known prostitute. It seemed a strange request, but together they created a family. This new life did not create…

What are you doing for New Year’s Eve? Probably one of the most asked questions soon after Christmas. People begin their plans for a party, staying up through the early morning hours as a new year is ushered in. I have never been big on New Year’s Eve celebrations. I would rather go to bed…

Wandering down the staircase in the early morning hours, I walk through the house with confidence. Though it is dark, enough light filters in to make me aware of my surroundings. I can see just enough, but then I flip on the light. The house darkened for the hours of sleep and quiet is suddenly…

I have been posting 12 Questions of Christmas on my Facebook page this Christmas season, and I thought I would share one of those posts with you. How About the Stable? “I have no room.” the innkeeper replied. Her spirits fell at the sound of those words. Heavy with pregnancy, Mary had travelled many miles…

Recently, I heard food described as cozy food. A cozy sweater or a cozy room, but cozy food? But the more I thought about it, what a perfect term for food! How have ever walked into a house and the air was filled with wafts of home-baked bread, or the spicy scent of cinnamon, nutmeg,…

I have just come out of a very busy season in my life. I always have that long to-do list at home, but several events at church kept me busier than usual. In the midst of all that, I also brought a big project to completion. All cause for celebration, right? I stepped into Thanksgiving…