You’ve Got Mail (The Truth About You in Love Letters)
Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3 Crab food. That’s what my husband calls it. He says that if I don’t have food when I’m hungry I get really crabby. He’s right. We all need food, water and rest on a […]
When The God We Believe is Righteous Doesn’t Seem to Be Delivering
The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. Psalm 16:4 Really, Jesus? I don’t see the sorrows of those who run after other gods increasing. I don’t even see any sorrow. In fact, we seem happy, rejoicing, running through vibrant green fields of self-seeking pleasure, free. In fact, I see us showing […]
For Those Whose Nose is Up
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 My heart hurts, Jesus. What has become of us, Lord? We attack. We defend. We talk over. We talk around. We lie. We deny. And we wonder why we can’t connect? Do we even want to connect anymore? Or do we want to […]
Empty? Full? Which Do You Want?
The build up to Easter is over. His death. His resurrection. His leaving the tomb. The empty tomb. The reason for rejoicing. And yet, we still deal with empty. Don’t we? We’re constantly running around trying to fill ourselves up. Aren’t we? Power. Acceptance. Comfort. Control. We all know EMPTY, don’t we? Alive […]
Terrier Terror and What We Have In Common With Dogs
Instinct. That’s what it is—the reason why our little terrier pup scared me by running off into the wild blue yonder after that rabbit. Downright ignored the red bell. And the shaking salami container. Why? Because Baker just had to. Because that’s what dogs do. They follow their nose. Instinct. That’s what drives us all, […]
Invisible Threats and Giving Thanks
It’s Thanksgiving week and in Wisconsin there’s a frenzy for bagging a buck, the more points the better. We live in the country. Men in orange (and some women) sit in tree stands, waiting. Some sit in camouflaged blinds, waiting, like my husband and youngest son. They haven’t fired their shotguns yet after two times out. But a huge […]
Some Thoughts on Dying When You Feel Like It and the Hope That Stops You
It is late September. The sugar maple is tinged with fire, a burning mix of orange and red and yellow, engulfing the green. Honking Vs of geese fly over the barn. One yellowed leaf curls on the grass. Three Sandhill cranes lift off alfalfa field, warbling their way into the air, a trinity created by […]
True Love Wins Over the Rainbow
I ripped the lettuces. Shredded them in my bare hands and dropped them into the empty bowl. Then I dressed their nakedness with virgin olive oil and fruit-infused vinegar. Sweet and bitter whisked together . . . Then I began the layering of tomatoes diced, radishes sliced, white cheddar cubed, parmesan grated, olives pitted. Oh, […]
Beautiful Beyond Description
Here’s the thing . . . You are about to witness the juxtaposition of evil and beautiful. I have done this on purpose—to press a point. There is gross darkness in this world. Orange jumpsuits filled with men, caged like animals but handcuffed like no animal. Submerged slowly. Methodically. Into a drowning pool. With underwater […]
Free From Shame
So he stands there across the island from me, all grown up, wanting so much to be a man, to be seen as a man. I ask him. I ask him, though I vowed to myself I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t get into his business because he doesn’t want us in his business. But it’s so […]
Into the Wood
After our long walk on the ledge, Todd and I meandered along the inner wood trails—the guts of the forest. Nearly naked they were, the trees having shed their garments of leaves, bare and vulnerable facing winter winds and snow blankets coming. Earth floor carpeted in dry and dead, I dragged my feet because I […]
Climb High, Stay Low
We took our kids to a camp with another family with whom we have been very close for many years, whose kids grew up with ours. We zip-lined and rock climbed. On the beautiful lake surrounded by trees, we kayaked, canoed, paddle boated, and swam. We petted goats that tried to eat our shorts. We […]