They ring loud in my ears, the words that I just said. I bow my head, silenced in my shame. That tone, those words—unworthy of His name. I can’t take them back. I can’t erase the hurt, the pain. I can only pray that next time, the louder words will be His words, within my…
Writing is brave work. Putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard. Stringing words together. It’s all easy enough for a lover of words. Until you press “Publish.” Before you hit “Print.” And then, the very heart of you lays bare for the world to read. That molding and scraping the Lord was doing in your…
Nothing can run on empty forever. I can always tell when the gauge is getting near “E”. So why don’t I do something about it before I’m running on fumes? The empty sleep tank can’t always be helped. The ability to fill the sunshine tank depends on the time of year. And the quiet tank…
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…
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…
It’s hard to be anything but real when we have people over for dinner. They might arrive just moments after I’ve finished vacuuming the momentarily neat floor. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be strewn with toys before they leave. They see that our children don’t always eat their dinner nicely or politely—or at all. …
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…
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 open a new post. I pause and look at the blank screen. Often, I have a topic idea. Some days, it’s just a one-word prompt. Sometimes, I have no idea at all what I’ll write. Others, I think I have it all outlined in my head, only to end up with a completely different…
The End.
The End.