Our in-the-flesh experience begins suddenly. The world opens to us bright and cold and startling. We wail and blink, stunned by the suddenness, the shifting from warmth and comfort of a watery womb to an overstimulating awareness and newness. Lungs gasp air and breath pumps in, out, in, out. Legs and arms thrash and pump […]
Casting Your Character
“It’s ready!” the sweet barista sets the mug in front of me. Whip settles on the foam and caramel drizzle runs ribbons disappearing into the cinnamon latte depths. I express my gratitude, smile, reach toward the warm mug. I’m ready too. I lean in, toward the latte, toward conversation. Flickers from the gas fireplace combine with Christmas […]
The Three-Fold Gift of Waiting
The calendar days do have to creep. Agonizingly.They tick along as if they have all day, meandering, ambling, lethargic at best.I press my nose against windowglass, focus on the snowflakes falling in flutters. This was the part of anticipation I didn’t appreciate. It meant awaiting, abiding, attending.As a child, the culmination of Christmas couldn’t come quickly enough. […]
Makers Are Chance Takers
Scooping the dough from the bowl, my hands shape it into a ball, smoothing, rounding, rolling. Flour dust hovers as I sift it across the silicone pastry mat. I pat. Flatten the ball into a disc, reach for my french rolling pin. The rolling pin, made by artisans in India, sold by Mercy House, with […]
Standing Steady
The branches bob, nod, rustle. Snow lays in powdered blankets accentuating green needles. Pinecones poke their heads above this winter coat. The pines spread their graceful skirts along the snowy path. A squirrel scampers around the trunk and a quick flash of cardinal red appears above our heads. In winter landscape or summer bloom, evergreens […]
Cradling Togetherness
It beckons. Draws with magnetic pull. Urges togetherness. Lights twinkle soft and pink mixes together with gold, silver, cream, amber. We gather in the room. We bring books and knitting and hazelnut coffee laced with cream. Miss Jackie sits outside, ears perked, eyes peering in the window. We grin at her, sip coffee, gaze at […]
Walk to the Waiting Manger
With a scraping, a scuffling, a bit of entanglement my son wrestles my Christmas tree down the attic stairway ladder. The fir branches engulf him, teetering one way and another. They poke from the flimsy plastic enshrouding them. Thanking my son profusely for his grunt work, I begin circling our tree, straightening branches, fluffing fake […]
Glory Through All Ages
God our Father ~Glory to you for sending your Son -the newborn King- to earth for us.Glory to you this Christmas.Long ages after his newborn cry split the sky.Glory through all ages. The Great I AmWho is and wasAnd evermore and always isAnd is to come. The Rock of all Ages,Come through the ages,For every […]
Helpful, Hopeful, Beautiful
My criteria for who and what and where I spend my time online and on social media has always held certain parameters. I named it more specifically in this way. What I’m following must be helpful, hopeful, or beautiful. We become consumed by what we consume. Every so often I reassess. What once was helpful […]
Wonders of His Love
Here’s the soundtrack I hope is playing when I exit earthside and enter heaven. I hope the instruments of heaven and the choir of voices are all in full chorus of “the Wonders of His Love” like the joyful and compelling rendition by Casting Crowns. What better greeting than wondering at His love as one […]
Keep At It
To all the creators and dreamers and makers and vulnerable people showing up to share their work, words, music. {and this is all of us, anyone breathing, because we all create in some way, all made to produce art of a myriad of types by our Creator} • A Word For You • Keep at […]
Looking For Lovely and Creating a List
I don’t want to know Jesus only for what He can do for me. I want to know Jesus because of what He has already done for me. Emmanuel. God with us. Luke 7:16-17 ~“Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited […]
A Prayer For the Ones Carrying Suffering and Sorrow
A Prayer For the Ones Carrying Suffering and Sorrow Jesus, thank you that you are not distantly removed from suffering. Thank you that you meet us in our suffering. You endured suffering to share in our heartache. Jesus, you bottle tears. You soothe fears. Your comfort and compassion relentlessly carries us through the quicksand. Endless […]
Emmanuel God With Us
Emmanuel • God With Us. Every era.Every kingdom.Every nation.Every nationality.Every person created in His very image.Every size and shape and age.Every skin color.For mighty. For meek. For the strong and the weak.For the questioning.For the doubter.For those waiting longingly for His appearance.For shepherds. For Pharisees.For women. For children.For friends and friendless. Enemies and strangers.For the […]
I Was Happily Singing
“I was happily singing.” The words drifted from the backseat in petulant tones as only a put-out four-year-old could utter them. My laughter bubbled out as the words permeated our vehicle with the same petulance for a second time. “I was happily singing.” Nothing about the complaint seemed to indicate much happiness of singing. It […]
Bringing the Christmas Blessing Cash Giveaway 2021
The Christmas season has always been a favorite of mine. I’m sure in part, because of all that is cozy in it. My Christmas tree has been bringing me so much happiness this year. It always does, but the twinkle lights have felt especially hopeful this year. It feels like the world is a little […]
Pilgrimage
Perhaps we find these days of December a bit like a pilgrimage as we wind our way through aisles and tissue and lists. As we navigate sorrow and loss co-mingled with joy and hope and peace.We mourn what was, sometimes what is, or what could have been.The bright and shiny sits next to the disappointed […]
