There is a part of me that wants to tell 2019, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Then again, so many good and wonderful things were mixed among the hard that I cannot just make a blanket judgement of the year. 2019 brought deep heartache and deep joy. It was marked … More 2020: Word for the Year
The rain falls softly, dribbles of drops battering the downspouts as a sort of back-rhythm to the melancholy of damp dusk. In the distance I hear the lonely whistle of a train and I wonder where he is. My son. He graced us with his first visit this weekend, driving two hours to spend the … More When You Can’t See the Ending.
Sometimes it’s ok to be a quitter. That is really hard for me to write. I am one who prides myself on seeing things through, plowing through the hard stuff and checking the box when I’m finished. But I quit my Algebra class. I was doing fine, had a high B average and learned a … More Scratch That.
I took my dog for a walk this morning, noting the silver slug trails scribbled across the sidewalk. The light of dawn made them shimmer and become almost beautiful. For the first time in several weeks, I felt inspired to sit down and write. The flowers in the South are in full bloom, knockout roses … More Endings and beginnings.
It’s an intense season. I’ve been immersed in all things “end of school” and barely have time to breathe, much less write. My firstborn graduates from high school in less than two weeks, which does not seem possible since he just started Kindergarten five minutes ago. But, alas, it’s true and we are about to … More Stopping to Smell the Roses
It was so quiet that I could hear the fluttering of the birds’ wings. Newly filled feeders had invited them near and in droves they came, red-winged blackbirds, nut-hatches, cardinals and sparrows all vying for position and dominance over the provisions that had been carefully hung from hooks and branches. The sun shone in all … More When Quiet Won
One of the biggest fears I battle as a writer is of “being found out.” You see, I have no credentials, really. No degree to vouch for my knowledge, no wealth of experience in the marketplace to give me a portfolio that I can offer for your inspection. I’m just a wife and mom. I’m … More Goals: How to be used by God
I cleaned out a child’s room last week. “Clean” being the understatement of the century. I purged. Extreme, thorough and complete. I washed every article of clothing, not knowing what had been worn or simply tossed in the piles. I scrubbed, sanitized, and sang. Yes, you read that correctly. I sang. It was glorious, the … More When You are Overwhelmed by the Mess.
Every year, as December draws to a close, I ask God to give me a word for the coming year. It’s a little leap of faith, an exercise in expectation as I press in to hear His voice and fight to suppress my own. I look for it everywhere, in songs, books and conversations. I … More The Word for 2019
Have you ever talked to yourself? Asking for a friend. 😉 Really, though, I can think of many times throughout my life where self-talk took on the form of a prayer, when I realized I was no longer trying to work out the situation in my own mind but, in fact, crying out to God. … More The Love of Advent
A Life of Simple Joys 
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