Oh no, the light is out. I’m in hot water. Rolling onto the crunchy gravel drive long past my high school curfew, something seemed off. The familiar porchlight that was always on until our last family member was safely inside, was dark. Either there had been a family emergency and they’d … [Read more...] about Parented by Porchlight
Holy Spirit
In the Shadow of a Stump
Some scriptures just seem to overpromise. Like the one about how believers can run and not grow weary, how we can soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40:31). I can’t remember ever running (or believing for something long-term) without getting super exhausted. And heart failure makes it nearly … [Read more...] about In the Shadow of a Stump
A Better Memory
The almost-antique farm truck is a strange combination of burned metal and rust from years of weathering. I remember the fire that caught our neighbors by surprise one hectic week in a June far behind us. Deep into the rush and importance of harvest, the truck was crossing the recently-cut stubble … [Read more...] about A Better Memory
Sensible Skin is Tougher Than You’d Think
Every mama knows, preschool conversations reveal some of life’s biggest truths. It was my day to have the two for lunch after their morning at preschool, my younger daughter and her four-year-old friend. It was a Thursday thing that year. These besties loved spending as much time together as they … [Read more...] about Sensible Skin is Tougher Than You’d Think
This Isn’t Us: Grieving the Loss of Community
The sunny wheat field was full of multiple combines, dozens of workers, and several trucks. But it shouldn’t have been. It was one of the worst weeks in the small community’s history. Days earlier, my husband’s seven-year-old brother had suffocated in a truckload of wheat on their family … [Read more...] about This Isn’t Us: Grieving the Loss of Community
Surviving the Stairs
I was petrified of those stairs. When I was in Kindergarten, my family moved into our unfinished basement while another story was added to our two-bedroom rancher. My mother took care of three children and a baby in that awkward, damp space for more than a year. We had a makeshift kitchen and … [Read more...] about Surviving the Stairs