I’ve become my father — not literally, but by things I catch myself doing. I was already a lot like him, since I take more after his side of the family. I have the looks of his mother and the introverted side he carried. Yet, it’s been in the last few years, since his death, … More Becoming like him
I was reminded this week of how quickly things can change. I listened to the wife of our dear brother share at his funeral, “I never imagined that this time last week, I would be standing up here talking about the loss of my husband.” Whether a loved one suffers over a period of time … More Are you prepared?
When you’re out of gas physically and emotionally, it doesn’t mean that you have to be wiped out spiritually. It’s been a hard week, as I watched a dear family lose both husband/father and home all in one night. Wiped out doesn’t even begin to describe it. My brother and I were talking that while … More Yet…
Youngest son home this weekend, so I took the afternoon off. We did important things, like get car tags and not-so-important things, like shopping and eating at a favorite restaurant. As the afternoon passed, he mentioned he wanted to take a run, so I “offered” to go with him and walk — needed it after … More The sun through the shadows
Some things just throw you off in the grief walk, and even when it’s not as devastating as during the early days, you still feel it. Over a week ago, I switched phones. I liked my phone, but it was always getting full, so my sweet eldest son offered me his old one with lots … More One more lost tie
Sometimes God has to get us out of our seats, because he’s got someone we need to meet. That happened to me today, an otherwise ordinary day. I’d been sitting at my desk too long, and felt the need to move. After checking on staff, I turned to go back toward my office, and there … More Eternity in your heart
When grief first hits, it sucks the life out of you. You find it hard to breathe. As the days go on, sleep is lost, and you live in a fog. It’s hard to believe you’re able to get through one day, much less another, and then, all of a sudden, a month has passed … More Humming
Sometimes my favorite conversations are those when I say nothing at all, but just sit and listen to the interaction between the participants. That’s what happened to me this past week, as I visited my husband’s family in California. It was a typical gathering of his siblings — always plenty to eat and drink, along … More I remember
I’ve been striving to listen for God to speak to me for the year ahead…for my life in general. It’s amazing how, when we’re attentive, he uses different avenues to reach us with his message. I’m thankful for what he’s spoken through his Word, through emails from friends, and through a recent visit. How do … More No longer two, but one
Do you ever wonder what you did before the internet, cell phones, and social media? We must have been terribly bored! My daughter-in-love and I were talking about this today, and the struggles we have in pushing the voices away. We were talking about an author we both liked, and she said that she and her … More An Undivided Heart