As a young student of English and literature, it was not permitted to read the last chapter first—not officially—but unofficially. Who wants to spoil the fun of traveling through the intrepid chugging and cascading roller-coaster plot and twists brought to you by perfect words placed in perfect order? The compounding mystery is the journey leading…
Author: Bonnie
Pond Real Estate
I’m envying the sunbathing turtles across the pond, flippers splayed upon the muddy beach and heads raised to the sunshine. Most days they come and settle in for hours—the mud on the edges of their shells and skin drying to charcoal grit. Oh the luxury, the decadent extravagance—to sink deeply into the earthen shoreline and…
A Deeper Solace
Faith is a daily consolation, but it takeson an active, deeper solace when we awaken to know the lion share of what and to whom we anchor in a storm is developed through heartfelt gratitude. In the embracing of thankfulness upon the mountain and in the valley, an incandescent joy and strength burns a consuming…
Lavender Shirts Not Required
Leaning against the wooden porch fence at the wayside barbecue stand in his crisp lavender shirt and black dress pants, he explained that he’d just come from the church up the road. With a defined zest for life, the man spoke about local news and history to us that stood in line for our Sunday…
Roundstone, Ireland
Roundstone, Ireland I walked the stony beaches of Roundstone, Ireland, and stood under the shadow of the old lighthouse. The salty, icy Atlantic wind blew through to the heart of me. I saw the sun glistening upon lapping water pools by ancient, abandoned stone houses where Irish fisherman lived and died and sustained a generation…
Orion and Pleiades
On summer nights in Colorado, I sat on a weathered wooden chair from Mexico that adorned our front porch. Little girl against the dark and cold of night, I engaged with the stars. Surrounded by a midnight blue velvet curtain loaded with millions of pin pricks shining clear, bright light. I found Little Dipper first…
A Walled Garden
I love a walled garden and especially a vine that grows over the wall. There’s something so life-giving about living beauty and fruitfulness that goes beyond the limitation of borders. Think about the life of Joseph. Upon his father’s deathbed, Jacob prophesied this. “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose…
Open Every Door
We had a restful weekend with the kids at the lake house and now back in the city gearing up for a busy week and month. Mellow days make for loveliness amid the hustle of an ordinary week. I started to say a mundane week—but is anything ever really mundane—even trivial tasks repeated? The older…
Stop and Breathe, It’s Sabbath!
John 30:22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. When I am pressed and overwhelmed in my daily life, there is one thing that brings immediate relief. It’s a very old remedy and technique, but is well proven to be effective. And that is to intentionally come to full…
Oak Trees and Anchors
Last weekend, our daughter, son-in-law, and both grandchildren visited our lake house for the first time. You can imagine how much preparation grandparents do anticipating the patter of little feet. Our goal is smiling faces and happy hearts. In buying this home of course we thought about respite—a place by still waters and green meadows…