June always conjures up memories of the dry heat of a Kansas summer. Until I started traveling more as an adult, it was the closest thing I had experienced to a true desert. Somehow Dad loved summer harvests: the bright sun, with wind like my convection oven, and the challenge those 16-hour … [Read more...] about Where is God When We’re Walking Through a Difficult Desert?
heart failure
Parenting from Afar (Again)
A couple years ago, I wrote a blog post and then an expanded article (originally published in The Joyful Life Magazine) about parenting from afar in reference to helicopter parenting. It drew numerous comments, so I knew I was onto something. Like yours, my life has changed in many ways since … [Read more...] about Parenting from Afar (Again)
Is God Always Listening?
“Uh-hu…I see…Hmmmm…” In between stories of Littlest Pet Shop and potty training, and questions about bible characters and canned soup, I tried to insert interest. Sort of. My toddler stopped her nonstop banter and put her tiny hands on my cheeks, turning my head toward her. “Mommy, listen … [Read more...] about Is God Always Listening?
If Your New Year Feels Like “2020, Too”
As we tiptoe into Year 3 of a pandemic many of us thought could never happen, I wanted to revisit some of my pre-COVID thoughts. I wanted to see if God still seems faithful, mighty to save, all-powerful, caring. Even more palpable, perhaps, than what is happening with the pandemic is what may be … [Read more...] about If Your New Year Feels Like “2020, Too”
When Christmas Feels Like a Catastrophe
It seemed destined to fail from the start. My three young adult kids decided to start a new tradition. Rather than purchasing ready-made, they wanted to make Christmas gifts for each family member. None of them lived here. They were all busy with college finals and new jobs right up until they … [Read more...] about When Christmas Feels Like a Catastrophe
On Hope and a Plan
In the 1970s, the year 2020 sounded very futuristic, like the shows we watched of The Six Million Dollar Man or Lost in Space. About that time, my older brother wrote some far-away predictions on a classroom-sized chalkboard that hung hidden (and rather out of place) along one wall in our … [Read more...] about On Hope and a Plan