We Do Not Know What We Do Not Know
I stop and notice the veins on the tree leaves this afternoon. In darker leaves, one can’t always see the intricate nutrient delivery system within the leaf. On these lighter leaves, you can. And on these particular leaves, the venation is reticulate. Leaves, apparently, can have one of many kinds of vein patterns with different […]
She Records Her Acts of Bravery
My youngest–who is actually shy and nervous– decides to record her acts of bravery in her journal. I love this idea so much! I ask for her permission to tell you all about it. She knows God is with her, so she’s challenging herself to be very brave this summer. Rattlesnake confrontation, rock climbing, meeting […]
The Amazing Power of a Tiny Ritual
I’m reading the Harvard research study on the power of rituals, and I recall the very day my husband and I instituted a little ritual that’s become a huge part of our marriage. The research shows how rituals increase happiness, meaning, and enjoyment of the day. Our little ritual is gathering around the coffee pot […]
Advice for the Homesick
Today I remember something I learned back when I served as a camp counselor for six summers. When dealing with a homesick camper, you have to remind them that it’s perfectly OK to have a great time and miss home. You can feel both things at once, and that’s OK. Sometimes little campers didn’t think […]
How Do You Have Time to Write?
People ask me this question sometimes, and lately I’ve asked back in response, “Well, how do you have time to eat?” Nobody asks me, “How do you find the time to eat?” You eat when you’re hungry. That’s what writing is like for me. If I don’t write, something feels starving inside, and I must […]
The Smallest Act Sanctified
Today I remember the beauty of small, humble living. I’m reading Thomas a Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ, and I’m reminded of simple acts of love that reflect the glory of God. And it just so happens that both my daughters are sick today (one with a stomach bug and the other with an infection), […]
How a Mom Spreads Cheer in Walmart
My friend posts on Facebook about her stealth mission in Walmart. She and her children secretly put googly eyes on various items. Are you laughing? I am. I’m laughing for two reason: First, it’s just silly. Second, I think of exhausted parents shopping with tantrum-throwing children who suddenly see Paula Dean with bugged out eyes […]
Lean Way, Way Back
On a walk early this morning, I spy the biggest tree I’ve ever seen in my life. I literally have to lean way, way back to see it fully. This picture is really only half of the tree! I can’t contain it! Enormous trees are sobering, humbling, and perspective-giving. They remind me that so much […]
Danger in Beauty: The Rattlesnake and the Waterfall
Today we hike to a waterfall, and I see my very first rattlesnake on the way. I repeat: I walk into a rattlesnake! We stare at one another. He rattles. They actually rattle. It’s loud and scary as he sticks that snaky tongue out and uncoils. I toss a rock near it, and it slithers […]
The Best Definition of Freedom: 4 Things
I’m reading Ruth Haley Barton’s Longing for More: A Woman’s Path to Spiritual Transformation in Christ. She writes in the introduction that “the whole spiritual journey could be characterized as a journey into freedom.” I’ve got my pen poised above the book as the early morning sun shines on me. I’m ready for this. I […]