Cutting Snowflakes
Every year, we cut snowflakes to decorate the windows and doors. If I forget to do this, my daughter reminds me that it’s time to cut snowflakes out of paper. It’s a great craft to make use of old scraps, newspapers, or catalogs that you want to recycle. If you need help getting started with […]
Victories He Gives
This morning I read Psalm 21:1 where David shouts, “The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!” I think about rejoicing in God’s strength and recalling the battles of my own life. I consider the victories that God has given over my lifetime, and I’m full […]
Gather
Every day, you take in, from scattered places, all the meaning you can. You assemble; you gather; you bring it all together into something good and right. I walk in the pine forest to gather the pine cones for a centerpiece. I’m with my dear neighbor and our guide, Frankie the Husky. The air smells of […]
In the Right Hand, In the Right Light
You know I’m not the world’s best photographer, and you also know I don’t have a nice camera. I still use the one on my old phone. What I miss most about my early days of blogging with my now broken digital camera was the macro-photography feature. I could take pictures of tiny pinecones on […]
The Greatest Seat at the Holiday Table
Sometimes holidays usher in feelings of loneliness and disconnection more than joyful belonging. Here’s the post I wrote for Crosswalk.com today: http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/the-greatest-seat-at-the-holiday-table.html
A Day You’ll Remember
On this day, I walked in the cold, dreary rain with Kate to school. It was a dark morning, and it was more of a sloshing than a walking. We joined two neighbors–including the one who still walks even though his children have long graduated from the walk-to-school campaign. On the way, I noticed the […]
Reinvented You
I often encounter discouraged students who cry out, “I need to reinvent myself!” Today, I heard the expression again from a student facing a setback. I remember feeling the exact same way in college after break-ups or discouraging grades in biology classes. I wanted to start fresh, but I didn’t know how. An older woman I […]
Downtime
I love watching what different family members do to refresh. One immediately goes to her art supplies; one tinkers about; one reads. I write. It’s so good to recharge, and I remember to slow down the pace to allow much time to do just that.
How It Feeds Your Soul
I consider how easily soul starved I become without the right intake. I can fill up with food and shopping and entertainment when all along I wanted something else. I was really after wonder, curiosity, friendship, servanthood, and worship. I need to remember this during the holidays especially.
Never a Good Time
I remember the advice of a graduate school mentor who told me not to ever put life on hold to wait for a better time to get married, have children, or anything else for that matter. He said, “The perfect time will never arrive, so just do what you want to do.” I kept thinking […]