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
“Older women … are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:3-5, NIV) I feel it acutely. There’s my mom, of course. She is an … Continue reading To the moms whose kids are grown…
Is there anything more beautiful than an empty page waiting to be filled with fresh hopes and dreams? Almost 10 years ago, I started what I call my “Dream Book”. I love this book. It’s filled with short-term and long-term goals. Some dreams are for the immediate future. Some dreams are carried over from year … Continue reading Dreams and Goals: Preparing for a Fresh, New Year
It was a lesson in grace wrapped in cheerful plaid paper. The knock on the door was unexpected. The present was even more unexpected. Unexpected and undeserved. A friend stopped by and pressed it into my hand—a gift from a whole group of our friends, my husband’s and mine. And I felt so unworthy as … Continue reading Plaid-Wrapped Grace: A Christmas Story
It was early in the morning. Too early. And it was too late a night the night before. But I was awakened before anyone else by a dream. A dream that echoed longings pushed deep down in my heart. A dream so vivid that it felt real. As I lay there, a verse came … Continue reading Some Thoughts on Character … and a Call to Action
My favourite dates were the early morning ones on a cliff overlooking Hamilton. The sunrise would stretch rosy fingers across the sky and push back the starry night. The city was soft and sleepy and bathed in pink, and the lake shone quietly in the distance. The lake. There’s something about water that calms the … Continue reading Dates (Falling In Love All Over Again)
Ordinary things. Crayons and wax paper. My daughter and I sat down and sprinkled the crayon shavings onto the paper. We melted them and cut out hearts. Ugly, mottled hearts. Yet, in the window, light ignites a profusion of colours. When the sunbeams hit, the hearts glow. Sun catchers. We just got back from Huntsville … Continue reading Wax Hearts
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
My children are not my own. It only just hit home this morning. The oldest one, with her white-blonde hair and love of learning. The middle one, with her big brown eyes and even bigger heart. The baby, with her toothless smiles and soft gurgles. Each one grew in my womb for nine months. I felt it. … Continue reading My Children Are Not My Own
The Grace-Filled Life 