“In the morning, O Lord, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”
I read in Psalm 5 when David reports: “In the morning, O Lord, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” It’s morning time. I position my pen above my journal and imagine God asking, “Is there anything you need? Anything at all? Is there any concern you might have? Any at all? […]
Giant Frozen Colored Ice Balls on My Lawn
We wake up to giant frozen colored ice balls on the lawn. We love them! They’re beautiful! Some creative and whimsical person (was it you?) decorates the front yard with them in the night all stealth-like. After pondering these lovely orbs, we reason that someone filled a balloon with colored water, froze it, and then […]
Still, Literally
My youngest (who travels mostly by cartwheel and is up at 5:30 AM constructing origami or sewing little doll dresses) announces at 7:00 AM that she is sick. Her stomach feels queasy, and she cannot possibly go to school. She wants to stay in bed and just. . . stay still. For one who exists […]
Frozen Fractals All Around
On a window in my garage. Oh, winter!
Your Signature Story
In our memoir-writing unit, we’re talking about “signature stories” that work well, not just for friends and family, but in professional settings. We watch a short video by Jennifer Aaker, Professor of Marketing at the Stanford School of Business. She invites us to stop telling certain stories about ourselves and start telling new ones–ones that […]
Coaxing You Out
I’ve been coaxing the kitten from underneath the bed. Coaxing is a form of persistent persuasion. It’s a great verb. For days, I’ve reminded dear Merlin that kitty treats abound in our home. I’ve showed him my lavish affection. I’ve pet him, brushed him, and scratched behind his little ears. I bring him to his […]
“God’s Love Would Be Enough for Me”
My oldest daughter says she’s been thinking about me lately and how much I fear that I’ll become a terrible mother and somehow damage my family. She’s in the kitchen cooking a new recipe, and she says, “No offense, Mom, but God’s love is going to be enough for me. You can’t be a perfect […]
Not Exactly What We Hoped For
We spend the morning filling various bird-feeders with all kinds of seeds. Last night, my daughter won a basket in our school’s “Basket Bingo” night. She put one ticket into the “Backyard Birds” themed basket, and twenty tickets into the “Cat Toys” themed one. With her whole heart, she wanted that cat basket. But she […]
What You Saw Has a Name! It’s Called “Diamond Dust!”
This morning, I briefly feel like I’m hallucinating (either that or a migraine’s coming on). The air around me looks covered in silver glitter. I look up into the bright sky. Nope, it’s not snow. I poke my head out of my coat and scarf. Nope, there’s no wind blowing the snow around. I’m seeing […]
“A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without the medal, you’ll never be enough with it.” ~Irv Blizter from Cool Runnings
My friend quotes Irv Blizter yesterday when I tell her that sometimes I wonder what I’m waiting for in life. We are writing buddies; we meet to encourage one another about our non-fiction pieces and novels. We share an office in the English department. In between grading and meeting with students, we talk about our […]