Glimpses of renewal are bits of the Kingdom of Heaven glimmering here and now. It’s just a matter of paying attention to what’s happening around you, in creation, in and between people. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses metaphor and parable to tell us what the Kingdom of heaven looks like. “The kingdom of […]
Freshman Year of College
I’m in many “sandwiched” friendships. I’m close friends with women in their 40s who are getting ready to send their kids off to college for the first time. I’m also friends with those 16-20 year old kids of theirs. It’s a really fun dynamic. Many of our conversations are centered around the topic of college and […]
Days Like This
Dear Little Girl, Our days together, in this intimate relationship of pregnancy, are drawing to a close. As difficult as it has been to carry you, I am certain that I will miss (even grieve) your nearness. Over these months I have described many times the challenges of being pregnant. It is a hard, hard […]
Niagara on the Lake
Kevin and I travel a lot. We have many church conferences and training trips and spiritual retreats and family get-togethers and a myriad of other obligations. We’re used to packing our bags, loading the car, and getting to our destination with time to spare. It’s almost a challenge, then, to change our mindset to “vacation […]
Our Church
One of my friends sent me a birthday text that included encouragement of what I’d “accomplished” in my 30 years. She listed “several flourished ministries” and I stopped dead in my tracks, thanking God for the privilege of being a part of his Kingdom Work. Last Sunday we were excited to attend our former church […]
FAQs
Dear Little One, We heard your heart beating fast and strong today. What a blessed relief it was! We were assured once again that you are safe and sound, alive and well. God has given me such a peace about your life and my pregnancy. But I still can’t know the future, and as this […]
The Nest
Dear Child of Mine, I can almost picture you. You’re no longer some far-off dream of mine. I have been busy preparing for your arrival every day since February 1st. Yes, this includes doing the necessary paperwork, but also readying my home, researching baby equipment, and getting all sort of wonderful tips from friends. This […]
Sowing and Reaping
Dear Child of Ours, Sometimes there are so many swirling thoughts, countless circumstances being juggled, it’s hard to know where to begin. It’s easy to feel paralyzed by the options and opinions. Deep breath. One thing at a time. I’m a future-planner. A get-all-my-ducks-in-a-row kind of person. Thus, I am so thankful for your Daddy, the guy […]
#MomForAWeek
Dear Little One, This week I’ve experienced life as a single mom of four kids. It had only day 3 and I was like, wow, exhausted. The kids have been great and we’ve had lots of fun together. But I have a whole new level of respect for moms of any kind – let alone […]
In a Downpour of Love
Dear Little One, I’m not sure what prompted me to share my very personal procedure with the “world” on Facebook yesterday. It’s a strange thing, sharing the private details of your life with so many. But there was something inside of me that knew the people who love me would want to know, would want […]