I am reading Matthew 14 today to the dim light of morning. There is a sliver of a moon rising with Venus guiding the way, and I am right here with Jesus in the fourth watch of the night. John has died, Jesus is heartbroken, and the crowds won’t leave him alone. Kind of like […]
Wednesdays In The Word: John 1:29-34 (Jesus comes, bad day and all)
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I […]
When The Mama-Heart Grows Cold
Sickness abounds still. Five children slumber-partied in the living room last night, bodies strewn upon one another in the kind of harmonic intimacy that only comes after dark. Grace screamed for two hours in her crib with her Papa at her side, and I holed up in the bathroom and tried not to hear. These […]
The Earth Is Alive
We have had two weeks of sickness around here, and just when I thought we were getting well, it came back to invade my lungs and Grace’s ears. No sleep. I am so, so, so, so tired. Nevertheless, yesterday dawned warm and sunny and in hopes of the car motion lulling Grace into a nap, I took the […]
Living Bravely: the mosaic is wrought through pain
What if Jesus doesn’t want to keep us from pain? What if the Hard Things and Broken Places are where we come to know the Lord? What if he is growing within us a heart full of courage? What if he wants to grow this within our children as well? On April first, just before I […]
Nature Study–it’s for the parents, too
I love to be out of doors with my kids. I really do. For going on eleven years now, escaping the four walls of our home with its plethora of Things has been a mainstay of my sanity. I like to hike with my kids, I like to sit on rocks and feel sunlight with my kids, I like to […]
When Mama Goes Crazy
These have been hard days for this mama. The holidays passed and suddenly it was time for school again, long before I was ready. Not that ready was going to happen–my idea of ‘ready’ right about now entails a two week vacation to Italy (alone), and, well, that kind of ready will have to wait. We were asked […]
A Shot For The Field Artillery
Christmas came like a blur, left like a blur, and before I very happily tuck the last of the nativity figurines into tissue paper and coil up the lights, I find that I must record one little story. Here’s what you first should know: I grew up in a family that Did All The Things at Christmastime. You […]
The Truth Behind Pinterest Worthy Images
On Monday morning the kids and I created an advent garland. Sure, we were a week into Advent, and yes, it had taken me that entire week to wrap my mind around this project after reading a tutorial over at Five In Tow. All I wanted was something to help the four year old count […]
Sand: thoughts on change and how we grow
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. – William Blake My heart has been broken a dozen times this evening; broken, restored, broken again. The heavy things of life laid anchor, pulling my self-ship to […]