It was just a small, red wire basket I bought for $1.25 at Dollar Tree. Impulsive, but not extravagant. When I got home, my husband asked, “What are you going to do with that?” “I don’t know,” I said. “I haven’t thought about it yet.” He was quizzical. Why would I buy something I didn’t know what to do with? Perhaps he doesn’t understand the feminine mind. But at $1.25, I didn’t see much point in worrying about it. Later in the day, he asked me again. “What are you going to do with that?”...

Sitting in a crowded concert hall in Vienna with several hundreds of people, Trent and I were taking in J.S. Bach’s “St. Matthew’s Passion” for the first time. We were still learning German, but thankfully, there was an English translation, which we followed closely. That need, however, did not in the least diminish the stirring music, the stunning voices, the aura of the heavy movements by which Bach attempted to convey that night of tears and grief and sorrow. The tears...

The mysterious phrase grew in proportion to the wait. As mystery usually does. Our family Christmas gift opening was in progress when one daughter received a gift that said, “Give this to…” her sister. Puzzled looks around the Christmas tree. She gave it to that sister, who opened it. It was just what that sister wanted! To her quizzical look, the answer was, “All will be revealed.” A few opened presents later, that sister received a tagged gift that said, “Give this to…” the first sister....