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A Fitting Reply

The Right Words at the Right Time

Make Believe 

My four grandchildren squeezed into the two foot by two foot by three foot cubby near the floor meant to hold audio video equipment for a home theater in our room above the garage. The shelves and door were never installed. A hand-painted blue and green tree lined canvas rests against the back wall secretingโ€ฆ

Left-Handed

Two year old Timothyโ€™s Cheerios sat untouched in front of him. He had been restless during the night and had only been awake for about ten minutes. His mom had listed his options for breakfast before pouring his cereal and placing it in front of him. Thinking he was still half asleep, I spooned upโ€ฆ

Mothering (and Everything Else) in Christ

Dragonflies lay their eggs on the stems of water plants. A creature that soars begins its life underwater. It sheds its skin again and again for nearly two years, it grows until the day it climbs out of the water and appears to die, a dried carcass, clinging lifeless to a stem until one lastโ€ฆ

Listen Like One Who Is Taught

The hour was ending as Ms. Sheila made her way from table to table admiring the work of her three to five year olds in Little Learners. As she approached Ameliaโ€™s favorite spot, the sensory bin, Amelia opened fire, peppering her with one question after another. Ever attentive, Ms. Sheila attempted to answer each query,โ€ฆ

Me, Myself & I

The house is quiet today but I am not alone. Ever faithful Jake, our Velcro Dane, haunts my steps, following me from room to room, even to the bathroom. He lumbers to the garage door as I fold laundry, pacing, hoping in vain for an early dinner. I take him out and he chases aโ€ฆ

Misled

My room was dark as midnight before seven. I fought sleep as I lounged across my bed, knees folded to hide the light from my phone screen while I read through my daily Bible reading plan. My four grandchildren slept soundly in their respective places as my daughter, in the adjoining room, brewed us decafโ€ฆ

Follow Me

โ€œWhy are we whispering?โ€ Amelia asked, leaning in closer. โ€œListen.โ€ I whispered. โ€œDo you hear the birds? Do you hear the wind?โ€ She was watercolor painting a butterfly outside and she had nearly finished one side but she was distracted by her little brother as he climbed up and down from his chair. In anโ€ฆ

Eager To Please

โ€œWho wants toโ€ฆ?โ€ Before I got any further, Thomas and Amelia dropped what they had been doing and raced for the kitchen. โ€œI want to do it, Yolly!โ€ Ameliaโ€™s words were interrupted by Thomasโ€™s. โ€œYou did it last time. Itโ€™s my turn.โ€ โ€œNo I didnโ€™t.โ€ Whether itโ€™s carrying a piece of cardboard to the recyclingโ€ฆ

Outrun You

โ€œBeat you! Beat you!โ€ Ezraโ€™s high pitched squeals echoed the others across the backyard. He runs with his whole body, belly out, arms back, vibrato in his voice keeping rhythm with his bounding steps. The slight grade of our backyard pushes him faster until Iโ€™m afraid he may face plant. Still he runs. Amelia challengedโ€ฆ

Peace

โ€œTree! Crash! Boom! Bang!โ€ Ezra fairly shrieked, little hands motioning above his head. We were playing on the front porch together when the last two aged hardwoods came down. We waited for spring to see how they would fill out before deciding to take them down. Once they were on the ground and the rottedโ€ฆ


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