From the category archives:

Everyday Lessons

The Know-How for All Life’s Trials

10.17.2012

These were the words he said he’d read over me as I struggled with the contractions and bent under the pain of all this mama work. ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and the waves will not overcome you….’ ‘When you walk through the fire, you’ll not be burned, and [...]

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How the Best Blessings are Hidden

10.15.2012

Jason coughs and I say, ‘God bless you.’ He scoffs…’I think that’s only for sneezes.’ ‘Why pass up a reason to bless you?’ I ask.  He smirks and lets me be.  We’ve had this conversation before. … I stop at the red light and see the old man there, tattered shirt, selling ‘The Contributor.’  I’m [...]

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How to Play the Prettiest Song (or Why You Should Turn off the TV)

10.05.2012

The book came with a CD and Carolyn’s teacher said to listen to it everyday, to somehow listen for an hour. I scramble eggs to ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ tapped out on the piano keys in a million different rhythms and the kids giggle.  We drive through the neighborhoods and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ accompanies the ride. [...]

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Link O-the how long has it been version

08.11.2012

It’s been a while since I’ve posted links here, but here are a few to enjoy if you have any time to read this weekend. What you might find if you do the task beneath you-on the day I wrote about picking up trash, I read this amazing story of a woman who found beautiful [...]

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How Sickness Can Be a Gift

07.23.2012

After spending a week within our church walls, pretending with hundreds of children that we were in Galilee, after making boats and bread and rope and music, after singing ‘He is Powerful,’ again and again, I’d finally worn myself down thin.  And just hours after we hugged goodbye, I could feel the pain coming. ‘An [...]

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When Your Day isn’t Going Anywhere {and a Printable}

07.06.2012

Perhaps the problem is that I’ve never had his power-that centurion, named so because almost 100 men answered to him.  Perhaps the problem comes from sometimes asking the kids one, two, maybe three times before they go or come.  Can I not imagine it, what some life could look like if some one was actually [...]

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If You Could Only Love More

07.03.2012

“Both of you heard stories about someone who needed forgiveness-Saul and David.  But, who needs to be forgiven in our house?”  I ask it over Sunday lunch. ‘All of us,’ he said.  ’Even Elaine.’ Jason and I exchange glances across the table because we know this is too true–we know that all of us, especially [...]

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The Words that Can Undo You

06.25.2012

There is just too much to be done in this world when everything seems to do nothing but come undone. And there’s just too much for me to do.   So much that needs so much. The weight of it all can make the covers feel too heavy to push back in the mornings.  It [...]

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If You’re Busy

06.01.2012

My little Elaine is trying to crawl and seems to have the same problem that Brennan did three years ago.  So, here’s an edited repost from 2009. My baby is trying to crawl.  Get her on her belly, put a tempting, ready to be covered in drool, toy before her and she starts squirming.  She [...]

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The Forgotten Secret

05.05.2012

“The evangelization of the world depends first upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for workers; deeper far than the need for money; deep down at the bottom of our spiritual lives, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, worldwide prayer.” Robert Speer, quoted by Dick Eastman, Love on its Knees [...]

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