Functional rather than attractive, it never seemed odd or significant that we called it the “utility room” growing up. After a major remodel gobbled up our one-car garage, this tiny room became both a laundry room and miscellaneous storage. It was where our washer and dryer and muddy boots lived, … [Read more...] about Utility Room Faith
eternity
Receiving the Baton
Certain slices of life mamas never forget. Like the early days and weeks after bringing new babies home from the hospital. I especially remember the part their grandma played. Each time my mama showed up at just the right time. Brought all the right treats. Did all the right things. … [Read more...] about Receiving the Baton
Finding Answers in Unanswered Prayers
I begged my daddy to say yes. I flashed my brown eyes at him, daring him to resist. My eight-year-old mind just knew I could prove my maturity by being admitted to The Headless Woman carnival sideshow. I remember her well. The version that made her rounds at the Kansas State Fair decades ago sat … [Read more...] about Finding Answers in Unanswered Prayers
Learning to Lament
It was an ordinary Tuesday. As I made my way into the choir room, I remember seeing her older brother pacing outside the school office, waiting for her to be released from class. My childhood friend’s mother had died after a long illness when we were seniors in high school. I knew her mother … [Read more...] about Learning to Lament
Expectations and Promises: When God Disappoints
Shielding the California sun from my eyes for a glimpse as my daughter received her college diploma, I remembered something my husband said four years ago as I sat on these same crowded bleachers. I was wearing my cardiac life vest back then. My older son was graduating from the same university … [Read more...] about Expectations and Promises: When God Disappoints
Finding MidRace Joy in a Marathon Pandemic
It was the perfect sunny day in April to watch the Boston Marathon. I left our Airbnb early, figured out the subway stop, and waited my turn to be at the front of the barricade lining Boylston Street, several blocks from Copley Square where it was only about 10 people deep. I didn’t have a chance … [Read more...] about Finding MidRace Joy in a Marathon Pandemic