As a kid, I was pretty good at math. Not to brag, but I won my fair share of chalkboard arithmetic races. So I could usually finish my homework in class or during study hall. But I chose not to. Instead, I saved my long division to work on during the nearly hour-long bus ride home or while I … [Read more...] about Finding God in Soggy Cereal & Cold Coffee
life vest
To Manage a Mountain
Warm, barefoot summers in Kansas I avoided them at all cost. Those feisty red ants had hills stationed throughout the farmstead. If a kid wasn’t looking where she was going, she got a painful reminder that she was infringing on their territory. Still, I spent hours observing those little guys at … [Read more...] about To Manage a Mountain
Tweaking Tradition, Part 1
Tradition is not a neutral word. Like college football, or Jesus, or anything political, it evokes a strong emotion, reflecting how traditions have played out in our lives. I, too, have had a love-hate relationship with traditions over the past few years. The following article was first … [Read more...] about Tweaking Tradition, Part 1
Embracing the Seasons
“This is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made…” My oldest child’s beautiful voice pierced the strained silence on her first day of Kindergarten. Adult tears flooded the front seat of that minivan as an innocent, trusting faith poured out in the back. With a … [Read more...] about Embracing the Seasons
Weeds and Warnings, Part I
This week I am preparing for a speaking event and next week I will be at the Cleveland Clinic for a heart check. So I am taking this opportunity to post a piece that was selected and originally appeared on the Kindred Mom website a few weeks ago. It tells the story of my own disease, … [Read more...] about Weeds and Warnings, Part I
Becoming Mom
Tomorrow is May 1: May Day, my sister’s birthday, my youngest daughter’s birthday. May also brings the National Day of Prayer and, outside of the last day of school, the best occasion: Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day always brings a flood of memories to us empty-nesting moms. We can still remember … [Read more...] about Becoming Mom