When my neighbour got too old to garden, the nettle moved in. It came in from the alley, under the fence. It spread through rhizomes -- rootstalks that crept unseen beneath the soil. The rhizomes sprung tall and dense patches of weeds. My neighbour's beautiful gardens, the ones that brought her so much joy, were … Continue reading Bitter Roots
My daughter sat dejectedly beside me on the couch. “She told me that she didn't want to play with me and it hurted my feelings.” Her eyes were sad as she described what had happened on the playground that morning. “I tried to give her a stamp but she didn't want it and then she … Continue reading Lessons from the Playground
My time in Slovakia was over. All of the other short-term team members had already gone home. I had some extra time before my flight left, so one of the long-term missionaries accompanied me to Budapest, where I spent several glorious days exploring one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I stayed at … Continue reading Once Upon a Summer: Refugees (Part 9)
Large tears rolled down my daughter's cheeks. "Nooooooooo!" she wailed. The scene had been going on for about five minutes now. My husband was trying to change Evelyn's diaper, which was wet and heavy and very smelly. My daughter was crying like her heart was breaking into a million pieces. "Waaaaaant stinky diaper!" Twenty minutes … Continue reading Dirty Diapers and Good Friday
Rejection. Hurt. How did I become who I am? I went to a prayer meeting last night and felt sure that something had been broken. I came home and, when my husband wouldn’t listen to me, I yelled. He yelled back. I cried. Then I gave him the silent treatment. I felt rotten. But still … Continue reading The Freedom to Choose. The Freedom to Move on.
The woman who shuffled out of the doctor’s office had her head down and shoulders slumped. She was young, but she moved like an old woman. Twelve years of visiting doctor after doctor and trying treatment after treatment had almost sucked the very life out of her. It had certainly sucked up her finances. She … Continue reading “Your Suffering is Over”
“... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes ...” (Isaiah 61:3) As a fire dwindles down, all that is left are ashes. Thick, black ashes. Have you ever noticed how ashes have a way of getting kicked up by the wind and spreading all over the place? Wherever they land, they … Continue reading Beauty for Ashes
But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn't get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob's hip out of joint. The man said, "Let me go; it's daybreak." Jacob said, "I'm not letting you go 'til you bless … Continue reading I Walk With a Limp – Guest Post by Christina D’Angelo
The Grace-Filled Life 