The Bible Study is Coming!
A Good Question for Family Members
Can you imagine if each family member asked the other family members a loving question? Here’s one I love: “How can I make your life better today?” Maybe you’ll run an errand for someone who can’t find the time. Maybe you’ll do a chore you don’t normally do. Maybe you’ll sit on the end of […]
Where Observation Ends
Now, we wait. Since the Robin has stopped laying eggs at four, we don’t disturb the mother bird on her nest for the next two weeks. We don’t snap photographs. Of course, things might happen: a cowbird might come and lay her egg in the Robin’s nest. Squirrels, snakes, or even blackbirds might come and […]
A Birthday Dinner
My daughter turns 12 years old today! Her birthday dinner selection? The Pioneer Woman Lasagna, caesar salad, and cannoli for dessert. No birthday cake. Just cannoli. I think she’s got some Italian in her for sure! I know it’s Cinco de Mayo, but she wants lasagna and cannoli. You can’t deny the birthday girl her […]
All God’s Verbs in Psalm 23
This morning I take a deeper look at Psalm 23 and everything God does. His verbs? He makes us lie down; He leads; He refreshes; He guides; He is with us; He comforts; He prepares a table; He anoints. Our verbs? We lack nothing; we fear not; we overflow; we dwell. All day long, I […]
Firelight Talk
Today I recall Polly Wiessner’s research on the Ju/’hoansi Bushmen in Africa. I love how she discusses “Firelight Talk” and how the community would gather to share personal stories around the campfire. The ancient desire to connect over stories, she argues, remains today. I think about what tale I would tell about who I am and where […]
The Prize of Aging
Today I talk to the Italian Mama, and her wisdom reminds me to slow down, know my limits, and relax into life in my forties. She’s a decade ahead of me. She’s there ahead, waving to me on the path, and shouting out where to avoid the pitfalls. She’s beckoning me into greener, lusher, more […]
For the Love of Kidneys
Since last Tuesday, I’ve learned more about my kidneys–and kidneys in general–than I ever dreamed I could or would. I had a kidney stone (and two more still in there), and now I’m an advocate of kidney health. It was so painful. Believe me, you do not want a kidney stone. You want to bless […]
To Take It Slow
I’m feeling so much better! But I’m so tired; the day feels slow and deliberate. I reduce every activity down so that I’m mostly resting. I read. I watch television. I take baths. I tag along with my husband at the grocery store. I grade only a few final essays. I drink lots of water. […]
Looking Around
I take a gentle little stroll right before a rainstorm. I noticed the lilac, the bright red azalea, the pink dogwood, the yellow and orange tulips, and the deep blue of the violets. Right before the storm, the color seems more vibrant: the grass takes on a deep lush green, and the bark of the […]