Once again, I sit on the dock and soak in the evening sun. Photographers call this “the golden hour”—that hour before sunset when all the world is bathed in gilded light. And this weathered platform at the end of an overgrown boardwalk is my quiet place, my hideaway. It’s beautiful here. Dragonflies and damselflies flit … Continue reading The Golden Hour
The nest is tiny and delicately woven. The materials are simple and humble—field grass. It sits on the nature shelf in our dining room, a perfect little cup that once held the cream-and-speckled promise of life. Even now, it holds a promise. “Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where … Continue reading The Sparrow’s Home
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
I’ve wrestled with it, you know. Wanting desperately to feel worthy of salvation yet knowing I wasn’t. Most of the time, it was just a subtle undercurrent in my walk with Jesus. But, every now and then, a tidal wave of doubt would assail me. And then, for a season, I’d toss and turn at night, plagued by my sins and wondering what hope there could be for a person like me. Could God really forgive me? After what I did?
The sky was a brilliant blue streaked with wisps of white. As we walked through the forest, red and gold leaves gently fell around us. “Look at that!” my daughter said, pointing to an old log. “It’s beautiful!” The log was rotting and covered in fungus. We stooped low to examine it. “Did you know … Continue reading Embracing Where You Are
“Mom, is it still fall?” The question comes from a little girl growing too old too fast. She’ll be five next month. I’m trying to wrap my head around it. “No, it’s winter,” I reply absent-mindedly. I maneuver the van around a car turning ever-so-slowly on a green light. Why doesn’t he just drive? Patience … Continue reading To The Moms Who Think They’ve Failed: A Story From The Trenches
My husband and I had planned to go mountain biking this afternoon. But it was raining. Hard. We dropped our children off at my parents’ house anyway and tried to come up with an alternate plan. Nothing. And then, a stroke of pure brilliance. “Let’s go hiking. In the rain. We have waterproof jackets and … Continue reading What if blessings come through raindrops?
The Grace-Filled Life 