I carry around this grief inside that I usually manage to keep tamped down. It crops up sometimes when I see pregnant women or babies, or when people not much older than me talk about their children getting married and having children of their own. It is all so normal for everyone else. At forty-five,... Continue Reading →
I’m Not Pathetic
I suspect that I didn’t do a good enough job of expressing myself in my last post. I may be desperate, but I am not pathetic. I am absolutely not looking for pity, though occasionally some encouragement might be nice. I started this blog hoping to encourage others, but maybe I am the only one... Continue Reading →
Win, Lose, or Quit
In my first couple of years at the Coast Guard Academy, the athletic director was Chuck Mills. I still remember something he said at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast: “There are only two ways to stop losing: win or quit.” I quoted that on my year book page when I graduated. I was always... Continue Reading →
The Glass is Not Half-Full
We’ve all heard it said that some people look at the glass as half-empty and others see the same glass as half-full. This week, I was thinking about where the Christ-follower should fit into this spectrum. The words from Psalms 23:5 popped into my head: “My cup overflows.” Early in the week, I was reading... Continue Reading →
Pay Close Attention!
I grew up with my grandparents living right in my backyard. Their house was right behind ours, on my parents’ five acres of land. The older I get, the more I can see how their presence impacted my life. As a kid and a teenager, I loved to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. They... Continue Reading →
Trust Changes Everything
I’ve been thinking of the words to a hymn: “Trust and obey / For there’s no other way / To be happy in Jesus / But to trust and obey.” Christians should be happy, but the song tells us that we can’t be unless we trust and obey. I’ve been working on the trust part... Continue Reading →
Window Screens and Simple Blessings
This summer, I have had to learn to ‘let myself off the hook.’ My to-do list constantly exceeds my capacity to accomplish tasks, and I had to make a choice: I could be upset and stressed out about what I wasn’t getting done, or I could find peace with what I was able to do.... Continue Reading →
What Dwells Within
When writing my last post, I stumbled upon Colossians 3:16-17. Immediately I knew I hadn't found it by accident. I felt like it should be my new motto, that I should memorize it and post it on a wall somewhere. I don’t believe in having a “life verse” because if we are taking in God’s... Continue Reading →
The Highest Calling
When I first began writing this post, it was dripping with bitterness. I started again, but I still felt the influence of so many years of sadness and hurt. I was writing as Mother’s Day approached. On my mind were of all of exaggerated and sentimental statements I have heard at church, all because the... Continue Reading →