O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Baby in manger, birthed upon straw, shepherds surround, kings guided by star. Before he came, he knew full well . . . He was entering a world broken by human will—His loved people, entangled and helpless to break free of the curse. He came knowing, for us. And in his own words he said, “He […]
Do You Hear What I Hear?
No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t hear what I hear. Our son Nick was born completely deaf in his left ear. No hearing aid can help. No surgery can fix. At first, one might think his impairment is insignificant since his right ear hears normally. But try walking around with a finger in your ear even […]
Love and Joy, Come to You . . .
It’s nearly Christmas. In a whirlwind world, don’t we long for slowing—even stopping? Let’s do it! Let’s slow and stop and turn to the One who refreshes our souls with a good long drink of love and joy and peace. The fountain is always flowing, even when it’s freezing outside our homes or inside our […]
Simple Girl, Simple Gospel
God’s Anna—He made her simple. Simply sweet. And her simplicity is her special gift to the world. But her life didn’t start so simply sweet. Left in a Russian orphanage at six months by a mama who could not care for her, she lived her first six years hardly held, barely clothed, fed just enough. […]
Let Freedom Ring
Ever been hit hard, torn down, in need of rebuilding? Eleven years ago, my husband and I and our three young children watched thousands murdered in real time as a hijacked jet crashed into the second tower. And we watched both buildings crumble to the ground. This was not a Hollywood movie. This was real life. […]
Empty Nests
We walk the trails with trees shed bare on a brisk November day. Nests once hidden are now visible—rounded twig cup nurseries of new life flown. So many hikes taken, spring through summer, we passed these trees, unaware of activity within. So many birds come from afar to build and lay, hatch and feed, and teach […]
Holy Fruit
We meet unexpectedly by the strawberries, this beautiful woman and I. A few days before, we gave thanks at family table in different homes. We talk about Thanksgiving and her eyes begin to pool. Her husband stands hushed and gentle. I miss her. Three syllables full of loss and gratitude jumble together in pieces and […]
Look Up
Just another trip to the store. Just another day. Groceries secured, I slow to take the country road curve when I hear a small soul whisper . . . Look up! Less than a mile from home, I stop and get out, amazed by grace. I see God’s exclamation point in blue. In circles, majesty soars, wings hardly flapping—floating […]
Be Still and Wait
After tears subsided and prayers pleaded, I sat and got quiet. Listening can be so hard when you want answers now but they don’t come right away. And then they do. In my spirit, a small still voice invited me into a holy place. Be still and wait. I journeyed back to Moses instructing his […]
Turkey Thanksgiving
This weekend past, man and machine harvested fields surrounding our farm bringing in logic-defying corn yield. Yet, July farmers worried sick as skies refused to spill and unrelenting, record-breaking heat stressed already parched stalks. Would the crop even survive, let alone provide? O Lord, let it rain! But He waited and watched as we grew […]
Posing in Pink
He walks into our bedroom. No, it’s more of a strut—like a peacock with plumage full up. He’s looking good and he knows it. Wow! Nice outfit! “Thanks,” he says, trying hard not to break his cool appearance with even a slight grin. He’s dressed in short-sleeved pink with clip-on tie sporting some long-sleeved shirt […]
Chicken Leg
“What’s for dinner?” both boys ask. Chicken. Wash up and come to the kitchen for grace. They comply, gather round the island, and bow their heads. As soon as the “Amen” sounds, the bellowing begins. “I call the chicken leg!” blurts out of the younger teen, Nick. “No! I call the chicken leg!” the […]