This week has been a flurry of preparation. I’ve read TSA requirements to help my son sort out what to pack and what not to pack for his overseas trip. I've also made a few small changes of my own, like installing beta software on my phone to preview what’s coming next, and buying a countertop ice maker because it’s stupidly hot and cold drinks matter. Each of these small things is a kind of preparation. Some practical, some curious, and some playful. But they each ask the same question: What...
14 days ago • 2 min read
Some mornings begin with headlines and alarms, but most mornings at my house begin with the quiet click of the kettle heating water for coffee. The smell drifts through the kitchen while the sun edges across the countertop. It is nothing special and everything special at the same time. I used to hurry through scenes like this, convinced that the important stuff comes after I "begin my day." Lately I am learning to slow down and watch what happens in the smallest places. Scripture keeps...
21 days ago • 1 min read
This week I saw a reel that made me laugh out loud. It was titled “How to Write Good” and offered some helpful rules like: Avoid Alliteration. Always. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with. Avoid clichés like the plague. They're old hat. (This was from a reel created by Lanette and Kurt, check them out HERE.) I don’t know what it says about me that I found this so funny, but I did. I laughed in that deep, satisfying way that sneaks up on you. Maybe it caught me off guard because...
28 days ago • 1 min read
Turning the radio up is a solid strategy for fixing curious vehicle noises. That's been my go-to for decades. My husband has a different opinion. 😬 There’s something comforting about cranking the tunes when the car starts making that odd sound. And as long as I can’t hear it, I don't have to worry about it. *Sigh* You and I both know that's not how it works. And yet, we tend to do that within ourselves. When something inside us starts clunking or rattling, like when our energy is off, we're...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
“Why do you guys insist on eating every day?” That was the question I asked my family recently. Not because I don’t love them, but because I was in the middle of a really good book. The kind you sink into and forget what time it is. The kind where you tell yourself you’ll just read one more chapter and then find yourself three hours later blinking at the clock like it betrayed you. Are you a reader? Have you ever gotten so engrossed in a story that you kinda resent the other people in your...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
My clematis has finished blooming. It's my favorite oracle of spring, and each year I’m taken aback by its beauty. My phone has a new picture every season to chronicle its arrival; an annual reminder that life returns. How beautiful is this?! I have two of them, climbing trellises in front of our garage. This year, though, only one of them grew. Right beside it, where the other clematis used to climb, there's… nothing. No new shoots, no signs of life. Just bare ground. 😥 (Sigh) If you look...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
This summer, I’ve been doing some hiking with my sister-in-law. I love breathing deeply of the forest air. I'm also learning a lot, as my sister in-law is quite knowledgeable with plants and trees. Afterwards, we always remind each other to check for ticks. I'm glad we do, because last week, she found three of them! It’s amazing how something so small can go unnoticed and yet cause so much harm, sometimes for years. Not all things that cling to us are physical creatures. Sometimes they are...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
This week, I didn’t feel like writing this. Not because I don’t care (I care deeply) and not because I didn’t have something to say, but because I’m carrying some frustration. Sadness, too. And a touch of anger. The kind that wears you down without making a scene. (It's not anything bad, just normal life stuff). Life doesn’t pause when we’re upset. It keeps moving. The calendar keeps turning. And faith? Faith doesn’t always feel like light and joy and praise songs. Sometimes it’s just showing...
2 months ago • 2 min read
This week, I noticed something: every member of my family is nursing a tweak. A back, a knee, a wrist. Nothing major, just enough to notice. And the funny thing is, we’ve all adjusted the way we move. We favor the stronger side. We lean a little. Limp. Reach carefully. You can see it in our posture, in how we sit, and how we walk. We’re still moving forward, but differently. It's not a big deal and we will all be fine soon. Even so, we will need to be careful to lose the compensating...
2 months ago • 2 min read