Enormous Kitten Paws
Introducing our new kitten: Merlin. Merlin has huge ears and enormous paws. He purrs and meows like he has very important things to discuss with us. I’m thankful for kitten paws on this Sunday morning. I’m thankful that the Lord brings new joys after losses.
Another Way to Dress a Doll
My neighbor recently bought some adorable doll clothes for her daughter, but they weren’t actually doll clothes. They were newborn baby thrift store clothes. Seriously? Why haven’t I thought of this before? We’ve been buying doll clothes for ten years–the ridiculously expensive kind that we save money for or reserve just for birthdays or Christmas! […]
Supremely Uncool Behavior
For the past few days, I’ve recalled a certain memory of fishing on the banks of the Potomac River. In this memory, I’m putting bright yellow cheese on a hook, casting my line from the end of the dock in my backyard, and reeling in yellow perch after yellow perch. I’m also catching silver minnows […]
I Still Use the Chalkboard
I visited my new classrooms today, and the feelings return: I feel so excited to meet these new students. I touch each seat and wonder who might sit there. I begin to imagine the discussions, the community, and the magnificent writing. I love the smell of this room. I run my hand along the chalkboards and […]
“The Number of Things One Can Do Without”
Today I read that Tolstoy’s definition of wealth was “the number of things one can do without.” Yes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to grow into the kind of maturity where we found contentment in every situation, especially those devoid of all the usual accessories?
A Fun Recipe for a Young Chef: Chinese Dumplings from Scratch
My oldest daughter would eat sushi and dumplings every single day of her life. Since it’s a snow day and -30 degrees outside, she’s stuck inside and hungry. Can we get dumplings? There’s no way I’m even opening my door to go outside. Can we make them? I don’t have the wrappers. I don’t have […]
The Song Your Heart Will Sing One Day
I read this morning a Psalm that meant so much to me during my darkest days. In Psalm 30, David writes, “Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Later, David proclaims to the Lord: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that […]
On Reserve (A Fabulous Find)
My friend Melanie shares a fabulous find on Facebook: 10 Crock-Pot Freezer Meals from Kari at Mommy’s Fabulous Finds. I’m so impressed with the easy preparation and simplicity of ingredients (plus I have an excess of red peppers in my refrigerator to use up). After shopping, chopping, and preparing (which took less than two hours), I made […]
I Was Grumpy, but Then
For the past few days, I wake up feeling that old familiar darkness: the doom and gloom attempts access, but I thwart it with this: I recall that I’m “seated in Christ in the heavenly realms” and the only thing required of me today is to receive tender care from God and to simply do […]
The Well-Ordered Day
Today I remember that Jesus ordered his day around the Father’s exact instructions. No more, no less. Jesus says “yes” to what he’s supposed to say “yes” to. He declines what he must decline. He travels here and there under divine order. It’s supernatural. It’s freeing. I read in John 14 where Jesus says, “I […]