(This article was first published in our church's newsletter.) So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the... Continue Reading →
Transforming Grief into Compassionate Action
Following is an article I wrote for a Church of the Brethren publication several years ago. The content is still relevant and timely, so I wanted to share with my readers here. When our infant daughter died in 2007, the world as my husband and I knew it forever changed. We were never again privy... Continue Reading →
Borrowed Bread; how a cancer diagnosis had me grasping for future grace
I’ve always been prone to fretting about the “what ifs,” but with conscious effort and prayer over the years I’ve become more experienced at resting in God’s perfect provision. A recent message I shared at my church came back to “preach” to me again and again as I awaited unexpected biopsy results taken the day... Continue Reading →
Thirteen years, and I still have to defend missing you
*A different tone than my usual posts. I always try to write with humility. Today I’m just struggling to breathe while I miss my sweet Sadie Rose and I’m weary of having to defend/explain why. As ALWAYS, love to my grieving families with ANY age/reason/type of loss. And with special sympathy to a local family... Continue Reading →
The Rest Test
I’m evaluating my own patterns of rest. Here’s the link to an article I wrote for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine about the Productivity of Rest.
Snapshots
We had a whirlwind several weeks following the death of my aunt in a date nearly a thousand miles from us. The children and I joined other family to make the trip to Missouri, the state of my birth. You’ll see more about the trip in an upcoming post, but for now, here’s some snapshots... Continue Reading →
Two Funerals; from Horse and Buggy to Mardi Gras
My aunt’s body arrives at the churchyard in a two-horse-drawn hearse. Mourners gather outside the white clapboard church, men on the right side, women on the left. Hushed greetings and stoic expressions of sympathy float between them, followed by a holy kiss. Reverence stills the crowd as the hearse halts. The well-trained horses stand at... Continue Reading →
“Opportunity” Eli’s Poem!
Last week, Eli started the Classics-Based Writing course through SchoolhouseTeachers.com, our “go-to” for ALL our homeschool curriculum. He studied the poem, “Opportunity,” by Edward R. Sill (!841-1887). Today, I used one of the suggestions in the lesson and asked him to rewrite the poem as a short story. It could be set in any time... Continue Reading →
The Scent of Grief
Liquid gold, drinking in the aroma Of Gain laundry detergent, regular scent Inhaling deeply the month of June, Sterile hospitals, funeral homes, And her, still covered with the fluid of my womb Whispers of family and friends on soft summer breezes, Gathered fully for the first time in years, To mourn our lost love Eyes... Continue Reading →
Family Eating Funnies
Several years ago I came across "Forks Over Knives," (referred to hereafter as FOK) a documentary promoting a "whole foods plants based" diet. A WFPB diet consists of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains, and can be beneficial in addressing some of the numerous health issues. I convinced my husband to watch... Continue Reading →