I never quite know when it will manifest itself, this ache of the shadowlands. Sometimes, it’s in the long days, the up-all-night exhaustion, the longing for rest. Others, it’s in the goodbyes and the distance. The never-quite-enough fellowship and conversation that leaves me longing for the time when relationships won’t be marred by sin, hindered…
It’s the dirt and saw dust and chainsaw bar oil on my daddy’s clothes and hands and face every night when he came home from work. It’s the way my husband’s kisses taste of sweat and soil, the way his laundry has the lingering traces of manure and mud. It’s the way my brother works…
“Delight yourself in the Lord…” “His delight is in the law of the Lord…” “Delight yourself in the wife of your youth…” “As a father delights to give good gifts to his children…” When I think of the word “delight”, a whole list of Bible verses comes to mind. And each time, the word is…
Dear Ru and Mary, We hesitated, at least momentarily, to take you to a ballet. Somehow we knew it would mean endless twirling around the house and the necessary creation of tutus. And of course, I recalled my childhood fascination with ballet and my fruitless attempt at taking lessons (your mother isn’t coordinated—one week at…
Dearest, A few moments of reflection, and I’m right back there…six years ago. Valentine’s Day landed on a Tuesday then, too. And I’d just finally—on February 9, to be exact—used my free ticket voucher to get a ticket to come see you. I was arriving the day before Valentine’s Day. And we were both learning…
I fail Him so often. The hasty word. The thoughts that only He Who made me hears. The pride and the impatience and the list goes on. And yet, in His tender grace, He is so quick to forgive me when I come to Him yet again. I don’t love him as I should….
The dream is always vivid. Oh no, I’m such a bad friend—I haven’t written or called Merritt in forever! And it’s always the same. Except for last night. I haven’t heard from him in forever. Should I write or call? No, that would be assuming too much. I’ll text Marlys instead and maybe she’ll let…
I love it when it’s cold enough outside that I can cook on my woodstove inside… The chickens are laying well these days, so eggs foo yung is a frequent dish—combined with egg rolls and fried rice and egg flour soup, of course.
In the din of the day, the children, the dishes—sometimes I almost miss it. His gentle roar. But then, in the faces of my children, I catch a glimpse of it. His slightly reproachful face. And when the quiet hours finally come at the end of the day, I can feel it. His claws, scratching…
“I get the idea that you like green,” the painter said when he stepped into our house and surveyed our green bathroom walls, our blue-green kitchen walls, and the green paint on his hands. “This color can actually look more blue, depending on the time of day,” I laughed. “But yes, we like green.” Green…
Dear Grama, You always find the perfect gifts to welcome in each season of the year, be it Easter or Autumn or Christmas. And it was no exception when we saw you earlier this month. You know how we girls love our aprons. And you found the most adorable Christmas aprons for all three of…
We know Christmas is on the way when Lorrie starts reading the stories each Sunday. Each week, she has another story of a little shoe box and the life it touched in a big way. Each week, we realize that the simple things we take for granted could mean the world to a child around…
The End.
The End.
