The guitar and piano notes weaved together with the voices of our church family as we lifted the generations-old lines to heaven. “O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear . . . ” I heard my youngest daughter’s voice rising next to me -- full of volume and unbridled joy. [...] Keep Reading
General
Walking toward healing: Rehab for the broken hearted
Pam and I are both writers who are part of a group called Hopewriters. We met in person several years ago at the World Conference for the American Association of Christian Counselors. I sat in on her workshop and listened intently as she shared her story and suggestions on how to help widows navigate grief. I resonated with so many of her personal [...] Keep Reading
How to Get Up Again After a Hard Fall
A few months ago, I was out on a training run on the trail near my house with a group of mama friends. The air was brisk. Rays of light danced across the path and through the branches of the trees. Jewel-toned leaves carpeted the ground. Then suddenly my foot snagged on a crack in the sidewalk. I went flying. I skidded on my elbows and knees [...] Keep Reading
Top 10 meaningful books I read in 2021
Reading is one of the most delicious and satisfying past times. I never seem to have enough time to read all the books my heart desires evidenced by the stacks of books on my nightstand and my overflowing bookshelves. I'm not a particularly fast reader. I like to highlight and underline and journal in the margins. I like to linger longer over [...] Keep Reading
God handcrafts unique gifts for each of us
My favorite Christmas memory as a child happened the year my dad lost his job. That was the year Cabbage Patch dolls were all the rage. In case you are not a child of the ‘80s, they were one-of-a-kind cloth dolls with plastic heads that came with birth certificates and adoption papers. All the girls wanted them for Christmas. They were also [...] Keep Reading
The healing power of retelling stories
My middle daughter slathered melted butter on layer after layer of paper-thin phyllo dough for the paklava. Her arms moved methodically back and forth. Every six layers, she sprinkled cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts over the pastry like stardust. Meanwhile, my oldest daughter chopped bell peppers at the island next to her sister. I added the [...] Keep Reading
