Gulls swoop and wheel in the air, screeching loudly. Two men grunt as they pull in a large net from the water. Slimy fish flop frantically inside the mesh, sides heaving and scales glinting. One of the men looks up for a moment to watch the gulls. He sucks in a deep breath of the tangy sea air before saying, “Good catch today.”
She sits on the floor, carefully placing socks, toothbrushes and snacks into bags. Her eyes shine with excitement as she creates little care packages. My eyes shine with unshed tears. She humbles me, this little one who is growing up too fast. She humbles me and convicts me and reminds me that we can do … Continue reading Starting Small
It was cool in the gazebo. Flowers bloomed boldly all around, cicadas buzzed in the treetops, and a little nuthatch tap-tap-tapped on the roof, looking for seeds he had hidden away between the gritty shingles. Despite the beauty of the day, I was a little out of sorts. My dream house was for sale—and totally out … Continue reading Revising the American Dream: What Homeschooling (and my Dad) has Taught Me about Life
Don’t you just love to dream? Over the weekend, my pastor talked about how children don't put limitations on the dreams they have for their lives and neither should we. He's right. But what really struck deep was my five-year old’s reaction. "Mommy!” she leaned over and whispered earnestly. “It's like how, when you were little, … Continue reading Parents, You Need More Than a Dream
This is for the one who feels like it’s too late. You've missed too many opportunities. You've made too many mistakes. When you were young, you were full of passion. You were full of idealism. You dreamed many dreams and they were big dreams. But it takes time for dreams and reality to converge. And … Continue reading When You Feel Like It’s Too Late
I sat in the waiting room at the doctor's office, holding my newborn daughter close, her skin soft against my cheek. We’d been discharged from the hospital just the day before. So new, this little one, and so precious. The door to the street creaked open and I watched idly as an old woman shuffled … Continue reading Make It Count
The tiles in the change room were slippery and the air was thick with chlorine fumes. I tried not to think about much of anything as I squeezed my body into a bathing suit left over from my first pregnancy. I’m not pregnant, by the way. But I’ve gone up almost five sizes in two … Continue reading Stepping Out of the Zone
We were sitting around the table eating spicy taco salad the other night (yum!) when my two-year old daughter piped up. “Daddy, we watched Cars today. I liked it. There was a truck named Mack.” My husband paused, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth. “That’s great! I thought you would like that movie!” … Continue reading Unprompted Gratitude
The wooden pews in the sanctuary and the grey stacking chairs in the overflow room were full. The crowd spanned several generations and many denominations and yet, as we rose to our feet to sing, we stood together as one body. In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light my strength my … Continue reading Confidently into Glory
My husband and daughter walked down the street, a foil-wrapped loaf of banana bread in hand. Evelyn had been talking for two days about the "banana bwead" for the neighbour. Already at two-and-a-half, she loves to bake things for people. They knocked on the door and the old man answered, a smile lighting his face. … Continue reading Tea, Cookies and a Little Child
The Grace-Filled Life 