The Droid breaks into the night with its death rattle. I know I plugged it in before bed, but we are in the motel room with the sign that asks us not to use the towels to clean up dirt or cosmetics. The room where online time stutters. The room where one outlet doesn’t work, […]
Unanswered Prayer?
Had I in some form learned the future would I have asked for unanswered prayer and would that prayer have gone unanswered? Would the gift of prayer for unanswered prayer have been unanswered prayer because He’s doing something greater than my prayer? I pray to God—my life a prayer— and […]
Through and Through Life: My Summer One Thing
They’re all camera shy today. The mouse who suns on the concrete apron skitters under shrub. The bumblebee on shrub takes flight, black legs trailing under yellow. The chipmunk posed on stump of amputated branch dives into black hole. I try to capture flowers, but morning breeze blurs focus. Turned earth cradles weed sprouts. I […]
And So It Begins
Faith Barista Bonnie asks us to write about “Finding the One.” So today I offer up this reworked repost as a shot of encouragement to remind us that God is at work in our lives even when we’re not looking or asking. April 1971. Only eighteen months into my nursing career and already burned out […]
Through and Through Life: Birthday Way
She resists the smooth and even concrete. She resists the cool and soft grass. The birthday girl wants to travel the rough road. The gravel way. And so we walk. Down and circle up. Up and circle down. Crunching and scuffing. Head down. Until she stops and squats to examine the shapes and colors. Scoops […]
Through and Through Life: Decorating the Grave
I open the Journey’s hatch and pull out the urn fillers and tray of flowers, my gloves and tools. I bend low. Shovel scrapes against sod and dirt and stone. It occurs to me there was a time when the graves themselves were dug this way. Mom passed first, but she rests in the second […]
Through and Through Life: Stop Praying?
What if I said, “Stop praying?” What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God’s presence with words. ~Francis Chan in Crazy Love, p. 25 Stop. Quit. Hush. […]
Through and Through Life: On Learning to Work With
A whole day and evening to myself. At least that was my plan. My hope. Because some days I just get so weary. I guess I’m kind of the family matriarch. And the almost constant caretaking sometimes weighs heavy. And I get tired of the sacrifice. Sometimes I just need a break. I mean–who takes […]
Through and Through Life: Motherhood Should Come With
I love that I can back date my posts. Because this is Thursday’s post. Written and posted on Friday. Because I’ve scrambled this week to keep up. But it’s all good because I recently discovered Five Minute Fridays with Lisa Jo, the Gypsy Mama. And it gives me a chance to try. The rules: Throw […]
Through and Through Life: Celebrating Joy in Photos
Sometimes joy hides right in the open. Waits for me to notice. Thrums with sweet surprises to melt life bitter. While I look squinty eyed right at her. Or past her. Or through her. But with my God-tinted lenses, I see her. In the midst of the storm. And a grandgirl hidden in […]
