Suzanne Schaffer

I was excited to share the news of being able to attend an event with a nationally known speaker and mentioned it in conversation at lunch with another ministry couple I'd been thrown together with for the day. My elation was met with a scrunched nose and words of, "You couldn't pay me to sit through that and listen to Glenn speak." My table-mates then tore apart the speaker, nit-picking over things they'd heard (misquoted, at that) and stomped on my admiration of this man who'd done more to point me to the cross than anyone else in my life.  I learned long ago not to argue with these types, not to try to defend the speaker I was excited to see, because preconceived opinions are rarely changed. At each bit of their dissection of Glenn they sat a little taller in their seats.  "He's divorced, you know." Yes. Everyone knows, it was headline news.  "I  heard he cheated on his wife and that's why he got divorced." I sat b

I've spent years trying to immerse myself in the world of working in the yard. I've tried my hand at gardening, have planted flowers at least once, had a nice little strawberry patch for a couple years, but finally came to the conclusion I'd known all along. I don't like yard work. It's too dirty. It ruins my nails (even with gloves on) and we all know I need glitter on my nails, not dirt.  Several years ago I hired a woman from our church to help with some yard work. Desiree enjoyed being outside and submerging her hands in the soil (and even without gloves!) while I preferred to stay inside and keep up with the housework because there is enough of that to last a lifetime. Is the laundry ever really done?   It started out well. Desiree did her job and I did mine. Once in a while we would chat when she took a little break. I enjoyed getting to know her. Or I thought I did. It began slowly, "What does Pastor do that keeps him from answe