What does pure, unadulterated faith look like, the faith of a child that Jesus commended? I saw it in the face of my eighteen year old son and heard it in his voice, as we contemplated the possibility of brain surgery after eight years of tweaking and changing medications failed to stop his seizures. I …
I Hear You
Six month old Thomas lets us knows it’s time to eat when he’s hungry. Once he’s buckled into his high chair, he stops his fussing when his momma folds his little hands together as he looks right into her face as she first asks a blessing on his food. “Thank You, Jesus, for our food. …
Fitting In
The year my daughter received a fifteen hundred piece puzzle for Christmas and determined we would not to go to bed until it was finished was the year I stopped enjoying jigsaw puzzles. We finished it, framed it, and said never again! She still enjoys puzzles and games, but with a newborn at home, they’re …
Don’t Look At Me
Nobody ever believes me when I confess that when I was younger, I was painfully shy. I wanted to hide if anyone looked my direction, much less spoke to me and expected a reply. I preferred to blend into the crowd and watch from the sidelines. I’m not sure when that all changed, but I …
Walking Down Briers
When I received my cancer diagnosis and we found that I would need radiation and chemotherapy before having surgery to remove my tumor, my husband began walking with me and the Danes twice daily, weather-permitting, to keep my heart healthy for surgery. Our community has many well-groomed walking trails, but Paul began cutting a trail …
The Right Emojis
When my daughter and her husband were dating, they texted long distance while he was away at college during the week and visited on weekends. They both had Apple smartphones so they regularly used emojis in their messages, and not those manufactured using punctuation creatively. According to Siri Knowledge, emojis originated in Japan and are …
I Will Not Be Moved
Twelve. The number of homes I’ve occupied in my lifetime. Three before I was married and nine since. Half we’ve owned, half we’ve rented. Some of our moves have been from necessity but some have been our choice. All have been within the same state. In every location, I’ve felt secure, but not necessarily because …
Those God Foreknew
My second grandchild will be a girl. Her parents could hardly wait to find out! It was intended to be a surprise for Christmas and my son really did try to keep the secret. He made it a full twenty minutes of conversation before it slipped out! “Our little girl will be…” Only then he …
Seamless
Transitioning year to year is fairly seamless. Were it not for the traditional celebrations ringing in the midnight hour, one day would end with a new one beginning while we slept. Nothing noteworthy differentiates December thirty-first from January first in the passing of time. The weather is identical. The days remain short. Some folks have …
Are Your Ears Burning?
How can you tell if you’re the subject of conversation? Does the room become silent when you enter? Does everyone look in your direction or avoid looking at you altogether? I remember my grandmother saying “your ears must be burning” to her dad as he walked into her kitchen. She expected him daily. Depending on …
A Fitting Reply 