May 7 2020

The Weary Journey to Joy

By |2021-03-06T13:32:37+00:00May 7th, 2020|Uncategorized|14 Comments

A good friend sent me a TED talk to watch this week. It was on the power of vulnerability. The speaker’s premise was that there was a direct correlation between a person’s willingness to be vulnerable and their experience of, what she called, “whole-hearted living.” The whole-hearted person—because they embraced openness with others—lived with greater joy, less shame, and a deeper sense of worth than their less-hearted counterparts. Photo [...]

Apr 28 2020

Dipping a Toe Back In, Quarantine-Style

By |2020-04-28T17:31:56+00:00April 28th, 2020|Uncategorized|17 Comments

I’ve not blogged regularly in so long (3 years!) I’m not sure I remember how to do it. But if quarantine has done anything, it’s ripped the carpet out from under all my “I just don’t have time for that” excuses. So here I am, trusting that this nudge to give blogging another go is from God and not just my boredom talking.            3-years-ago [...]

Jun 16 2017

When the Trampoline Needs Untangling

By |2019-09-09T14:04:24+00:00June 16th, 2017|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Deep into the wee hours one night, spring came ferociously roaring through our small town. It took our trampoline with it. Once the major threat of tornadoes had passed and the agonizing should we or shouldn’t we wake the kids up to hide in the almost-just-as-scary-as-a-tornado storm shelter decision had been made, there was only one thing I really prayed about: that silly trampoline. Lord, please spare it. He didn’t. We [...]

May 17 2017

Back After Jack

By |2017-05-17T05:00:11+00:00May 17th, 2017|Uncategorized|16 Comments

Dear Friends, Are you still out there? I wouldn’t be surprised if you weren’t. I’ve been gone for entirely too long to expect you to hang around waiting on me. But, in case you did, here are my excuses for my absence: I taught at a writing conference in Florida in February. I prepared for it for at least 47 years and then didn’t sleep the entire time I was [...]

Nov 17 2016

Fuzzy Heads, Cold Toes, and Why I’m Moving Into a Bunker

By |2016-11-17T06:29:51+00:00November 17th, 2016|Uncategorized|4 Comments

My sweet Christian is an unfortunately early, early bird—generally coming in our room about 5:45 in morning to ask if it’s time to get up—but today was like a weekend; he didn’t wander in until 6:15 or so. Still his fuzzy-headedness was irresistible, and I invited he and his Spider Man blanket and his ice-cold toes to join me in the bed. Christian,” I asked, “Do you know how much [...]

Nov 3 2016

A Giveaway! And What I do NOT Look Like When I’m Sleeping

By |2016-11-03T05:00:59+00:00November 3rd, 2016|Uncategorized|51 Comments

How did they get this picture of me? Were yesterday a scene from a 1940’s black and white movie, I would have been the character sitting at her typewriter wadding up page after page of doomed story attempt and tossing them over my shoulder—mostly unsuccessfully—into a nearby trashcan. Everything I attempted to write for this week’s blog felt forced. Or pointless. Or over-opinionated. Like I was a walking [...]

Oct 12 2016

Here We Go Again

By |2016-10-12T05:00:21+00:00October 12th, 2016|Uncategorized|12 Comments

Recently I overheard my sweet Hattie “reading” to herself in her bed. She was looking at one of Edy’s 2nd grade readers—a book far above her Kindergarten skill level—but no problem! She just made up the story as she went. She’d overheard Edy reading from that same book earlier, so she had a rough idea of the what it was about: a boy named Jimmy and science class. She read: [...]

Sep 1 2016

Chickens, Car Lines, and the Utterly Unexpected

By |2016-09-01T05:04:45+00:00September 1st, 2016|Uncategorized|8 Comments

So if you live anywhere in my vicinity, you are aware of the infamous after-school car pickup line. If you're not, let me explain. You wait in a line of cars to pick up your kids after school. It is...not short. One day a week or two ago the stars aligned and God smiled and I was alone while I waited. (If the car line can ever be considered enjoyable, being [...]

Jul 21 2016

A Call to Die (And a Chance to Meet Janet)

By |2016-07-21T05:00:23+00:00July 21st, 2016|Uncategorized|0 Comments

So that post title sounds a tad cryptic, but the call the die and the chance to meet Janet are not technically related, just part of the same blog post. And even if you don't read the call to die, please do mosey around my friend Janet's blog. She's just plain marvelous. And wise. And lovely. And one of my favorite people on this planet. I also love Janet [...]

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