God’s splendor is a tale that is told.
Sabbatical (noun): from the Hebrew agricultural term “shmita,” referring to a year-long break from working the land to allow it to rest and heal in God’s care rather than man’s. I have never successfully returned from a sabbatical. Every time I’ve taken a break from writing, whether personal or self-improvement or fiction, it’s ended up …
God calls out who you are long before it’s who you are. Just before the Unpleasantness, I found an extremely abridged version of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” at the thrift store (remember those?) and scooped it up for Mackenzie. She found it over the weekend, so we read it together. She was …
You don’t fit on my lap anymore.I can barely carry you.Not that you’re ever still enough for either. You are a giant.Taller than your older friends,mountainous in your anger,a cathedral of words and laughter. You walk on tiptoe everywhere,Your dance more irritated bumblebee than prima ballerina. You have a favorite version of the Bible,But you …
This Sunday is anything but still around here. Not only are we celebrating Mothers Day pandemic-style, but it’s also my daughter’s 4th birthday. Dang moveable holidays. I confess part of me is annoyed. My flesh wants a day just for me! Momming during Covid-19 is harder than it’s ever been, and it’d be nice to …
I’m homesick, guys. With all the travel and immigration restrictions, my soul is longing for a place it can’t go, for the family I left behind, for a life we planned but may not have now. If you didn’t know, I’m an American expat (I think of myself as an alien–it’s cooler). I’ve lived in …
CHECK IN: What’s your self-talk like these days? I bet it’s way worse than usual. Mine sure is. Here’s just a sample of the names I’ve called myself in the past couple days. LoserFailureLazyBullySelfishHoarderUnfit parent I’ve also repeatedly “reassured” myself with thoughts like, “It’s okay that your body isn’t young anymore. You were never pretty …
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had your pupils dilated at the eye doctor. Isn’t it just the worst? Ugh. But check this out. So during the test, they drop an irritant on your eye to widen the pupil and let in the maximum amount of light, letting them see deep inside and check the …
This is me. This is how I pray. It’s how I prayed for two years, actually. Scurrying to the secret place and writing longhand every morning through intense soul-pain, repressed emotions, and life changes, tears of rage and gratitude dried in the margins. I stopped last December after a major revelation brought closure to issues …
What do you do when the words don’t come? When your heart is burdened and breaking and you close your eyes to pray but nothing comes out? What then? Anything. Scream.Cry.Babble.Laugh.Breathe. Sing.Dance.Build.Paint.Write. Prayer isn’t about the words you say just like worship isn’t about carrying a tune. Your entire life can be worship; your entire …
As the news escalates, a previously-rare thought is surfacing more: I don’t want to be the grownup. I don’t know what I’m doing! I don’t know if it’s time to wear masks to the store or for my husband to shower when he gets home. I don’t know how to explain that the mall, …