Without thinking too much about it, I press my finger against the glass face of my iPhone and hold it. Eventually, as I expected, the icons on my screen begin to dance and wiggle. I touch the X on the corner of three apps, and just like that, Angry Birds and the two Bubble games […] Read more
Full cabinets, full closets, full schedule, full belly. Even a head full of thoughts and worries. If ever there was a word that characterized the past year, it would be “full.” Full, but not satisfied. Only in the quietness of this week — it began during last Sunday morning’s worship service, in fact — has […] Read more
Two years ago, a friend invited me to go bird watching in northern Indiana. I’m not really much of a “birder,” but I do really like my friend, and I decided that at the very least, we would be able to spend the day together. She certainly must have told me the name of the […] Read more
I was a tourist that week, trying to take in the sights and essence of the Pacific Northwest. And since it was my first time in Washington, my sister-in-law had lots of road trips planned. We would drive to Seattle for a day at Pike Place Market; we would play in tide pools and find […] Read more
A few weeks ago when I was on a road trip with my friend Kelly and her two sons, we stopped to get gas, buy some snacks, use the restroom. You know, all the things road travelers try to squeeze in any time they exit the tollway. Kelly had taken her youngest, Jensen, into the ladies room, and I was with Alex. Read more
Years ago during one of my college summers, I spent three months on the Atlantic Coast in Ogunquit, Maine. It was my first experience being so far away from home, and that, along with some interpersonal conflict and some money worries, made it a very difficult summer. I was lonely and heart broken and in […] Read more
My brother was trying to get the attention of his two-year-old son, Kole. They were at my mom’s house, and she had pulled the kiddie pool from the rafters of the garage. The water had been warming in the sun all afternoon, and though it was evening, the temperature was still balmy and Kole was […] Read more
When I was a little girl, bed time always seemed to come around too early. I never felt tired, when dressed in night gown, still warm from the bath, I would climb into bed, waiting for my mom to tuck me in. “But I’m not tired,” I remember telling her, most nights. “That’s ok. Just […] Read more
The words were spoken during a moment of quiet confession. We were gathered together, just the women, during a church prayer retreat, and around the room, women would tentatively lift a hand or slip from their chair and confess areas of weakness and sin. One woman had tried to start several times, but in the […] Read more
Please, Father, help me publish this book? Please, will You send me a husband? Heal him, Father. Please? Lord, will You keep me from sinning? Will You restore their marriage? Will You reconcile this church? Will You sell this house? Will You make Your presence known in this pain? Often, when I’ve prayed over the […] Read more
