Barren, Yet Abundant
No one mentioned the barren in church this year on Mother’s Day. Interesting how the barren can be so easily forgotten—so effortlessly passed over. But we don’t forget, do we? We don’t forget the weeks and months and years of trying to conceive. We don’t forget the outside-looking-in feelings every time we see a growing […]
Mother of Roses
I talked to her Mother’s Day morning. She was surprised by joy when my flowers arrived the day before. She hadn’t expected flowers that year because I had bought her something special instead—a garden bench, handcrafted in the year of her birth, 1936. In just a few weeks, Mom was to move from the place she […]
The Gift of Adoption
Sunday is the day we celebrate mothers. I’ve been mothering for 15 years and our kids are now 21, 19, and 15. I became a mother in the non-traditional way—adopting all three kids from a Russian orphanage in 1997 and 1999. They were 6, 4, and 19 months then. The older kids were speaking fluent […]
Time to Weed
Someone once gave me a definition of sin—trying to fill legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. As I ponder this definition, I can’t help but wonder how often we separate the definition of sin from the consequence of sin. I also wonder how often we think of sin’s consequences only in terms of how it affects […]
Focus on Joy
Is joy so hard, really? Is it possible have peace and joy in the moment, like floating still in the eye of a hurricane where threatening wind and waves surround? Yeah, it’s possible. Maybe not easy. But possible. Barring some major chemical imbalance where body overrides will, peace and joy can be cultivated right where […]
Open and Close
Some of us had a heel-kicking good time yesterday. And some of us didn’t. Spring grasses have greened and some creatures can’t wait to munch. But spring grasses are rich—too rich in sugar—to allow unlimited exposure. If you have horses, you have to take time to introduce spring pasture slowly. Too much rich grass can […]
Be Delighted!
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:3-4 Trust. Do good. Delight yourself. Desire. What does it mean to trust the Lord? What does it mean to do good? What […]
New Beginnings
There’s something so special about new beginnings. Hope. We all need hope for start-overs, fresh slates, first times. With hope, all things are possible. Without hope, the spirit withers and dies. God reminds us to hold onto hope with seasons and life markers. In Wisconsin, where winters are long and skies stay gray, we […]
Turtle Shells
Why do turtles go into their shells? Two reasons. They’re scared or they’re sleeping. Last spring, I was driving along the country road leading to our farm when I spotted a turtle in the middle of my lane. Not wanting to crush it, I pulled over, got out, and picked it up to move […]