Author Archives: Tpouch1

Teresa Poucher We moved to Livingston parish in 2004. We built a new house, and I wanted to plant some saplings. I got the shovel out to start digging and jumped on that shovel for about 5 minutes but didn’t move more than a half-inch of dirt. I needed a pickaxe. The ground was nothingContinue reading “Are You in the House or the Field?”

Teresa Poucher   Immigrants are coming into the United States by the millions.  My mother was an immigrant; she came from Germany.  She was born in 1935, so she has memories that could give us nightmares.  Yes, she remembers Hitler, and she overheard Nazis telling Jews to go to the train stations where they would take them to a better place.     I’m thankful forContinue reading “Multitudes, Multitudes”

Teresa Poucher   If one has been in church for even a year, you will hear “faith, hope, and charity.”  You’ve heard it preached many times: God is love!  There are many what we call faith preachers.  When was the last time you heard someone preach on hope?     “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of theseContinue reading “Hope for the Hopeless”

Teresa Poucher   I have arrived; I am officially a senior.  Like most people at this age, I’ve begun taking inventory of my life.  What have I accomplished?  It doesn’t bother me that I’ve never had a high-paying job, maybe because I didn’t have a higher education.  Sometimes, what the world calls success is vanity.  King Solomon speaks of this in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes.   I’m thinking about a familiar passageContinue reading “Go ahead and Invest”

Teresa Poucher I love dogs. Very close to us, there are 15 or more on a property where no one lives. These dogs have excellent care. They are free to go inside an air-conditioned shed any time they please. They are well-fed with good dog food. They are up to date with vaccines and theirContinue reading “Neglect”

Teresa Poucher  The average person doesn’t think much of seeds.  Nonetheless, they are vital to our existence.  Bill Gates is the largest farmland owner in the United States, possessing 269,000 acres.  Think about it…  We need our farmers.  Our lives are dependent on them.     Now that we are thinking about the necessity of seeds, what about the spiritual application?  The word “seed” isContinue reading “The Power of the Seed”

Teresa Poucher   I grew up as an army brat.  Some of my earliest memories were in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  I was four years old, and I would go to a motorpool* with my two older brothers when it wasn’t in use.  For some reason, we called it the “Safety Zone.”  It was there we danced around, cooling off on those hot summer days.  I loved to turn on the water to those skinny hoses and watch them flying through the air.    LifeContinue reading “Safety Zone”

Teresa Poucher “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face:Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1Corinthians 13:12) When I look in the mirror what do I see, but only me through a glass so dimly.  Sometimes I can see a Continue reading “The Mirror”

Teresa Poucher Funny how something small and seemingly insignificant can have a profound impact on us. I read of a troubled teen who wrote, “Someone smiled at me today; I won’t kill myself.”     Can a smile bring hope and solace?  Yes, and it is proven:“When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides 1 to help fight off stress. ThenContinue reading “Small Things”

Teresa Poucher Names are so important. Parents will go to great lengths to find the correct names for their children.     Many names invoke certain impressions or judgments in our minds. For example, when one hears the name of “Benedict Arnold,” we immediately think of a traitor. We associate honesty with “Honest Abe.” We think of strength when we hear the nameContinue reading “How Important is Your Name?”