To Julia

Today is only reserved for coffee, poetry, music, and lovely thoughts of you. Little Princess Julia played dressup for hours—for years until the velvet dresses thinned and tattered. We planted tulips together and dressed your bears up and had tea parties with friends. Your childhood favorite food was pintos and cheese, and we watched Barney,…

Blurred Words

Tonight I blurred my words and remembered you, fondly. Sometimes when you blur your words with a friend—it heals your soul, and you know you’re not alone. You are not alone. The vagueness of life demands analgesic, and sharing of vulnerabilities leaves the sweetest taste. In the braided arms of convivial moments and beloved friends…

Unmerited

To spurn all of this— To credit no one for the systematic order and glory of the universe—that He spoke into existence by the breath of a Word, conceived by the sharp-edge of wit, unmatched, cared for by the extravagant heart of a benevolent Father, and held together by the surge and swell of unbending…

One Nod

In time, you stop gathering things and begin to collect moments. You learn to draw a deep furrowed line in the world to hedge off the chaos and begin to measure life by the wealth of blessing without sorrow and suffering that has spurned evil for good. At long last, you cease competition and cleave…

Winter Sweep

The fire crackles hot, while I drink steaming mugs of tea on the run. I would like to pause to mark these moments laden with winter beauty, the icy limbs of barren branches, the silver silence of powder snowfall, the midnight, moonlight sparkle of downy flake, and the blinding sting of noonday. But my closets…

Canadian Geese

Suspended in mid-air between heaven and earth, they soar. No preparations—not for a nano second do they fret, stew, holdback, or shirk this 3,000-mile, seasonal passage. Oh, those black wings beating over and through the windy currents. Heads held high. Hearts pumping fortitude for the long haul, and eyes focused due south. Inner radar, as…

Four Words

“Bunny” became one of my granddaughter’s first words and first security-blanket, stuffed-animal-companions, leaving her side momentarily with great heartbreak—only accidentally to fall behind the crib for a few seconds or to succumb to a thorough scrubbing in the washing machine. This brought on tears and angst. Another cuddly rabbit was added to her collection for…

Stretching Forward into 2023

Our hearts are are so full and grateful as we reflect on 2022 and greatly anticipate 2023. God has been so good to us. We are so grateful for the privilege of serving our Savior at home and abroad. Looking to the future without fear is only possible with the saving grace of God and…

Today I Ate Hair

Subconsciously seeking a distraction, I mindlessly flipped through the photos on my Instagram feed. I had been mulling over the day and especially a curious happening at an outdoor mall. Wayne and I had gone out to do a little Christmas shopping and walked in separate directions, agreeing to meet again later. The day was…

Healing

The river of disappointment and sorrow—the one that catches in your throat and you swallow back, the one that stings your eyes hot with betraying tears—if you release that pain to stream freely, it will push out, out to empty itself into the vast deep of the salty ocean brine that scrubs clean the wound….