A copy of the Serenity Prayer is posted on my refrigerator. Such a beautiful reminder of the seasons of life. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Wisdom was a frequent prayer as I worked in various …
A tiny blip of memory – gone – then back. No reason why, but there it is again. The sweetness of a moment shared with my father-in-law all those years ago. For some reason, Jake and I always finished getting ready for church before the rest of the family. So we had 10-15 minutes to …
The following is a guest post by Laney Wind. I am honored to invite Laney as a guest – a woman who embraced her courage and escaped from domestic violence. Her memoir, “Escaping the Knight in Dirty Blue Jeans” is now available on Amazon. As I stand in my kitchen, the faces on the fridge …
A friend and I were talking recently about changing expectations. By now, we expected certain things in life to have occurred. Situations such as: The house paid for – free and clear Our children settled and happy A lifetime of marriage to draw on – the happily-ever-after dream (cue the Disney music) Plenty of retirement …
We planned it as a wonderful family weekend in Branson, and I looked forward to a leisurely drive through eastern Kansas and western Missouri. What I did not realize—until it was too late—was the massive fear-mongering I would face at the end of the journey. Although I grew up a tree climber, I have developed …
Dear Deb, The book is finished. You would be so glad. If you were here, we would celebrate at a Mexican restaurant with fabulous guacamole. Plenty of chips. Constant refills. You would give me hugs and “I knew you could do it” words. Throughout our meal, I would be thanking you for pushing me, for …
“Surely that isn’t possible,” she said, this woman who loved and was loved by an amazing man for thirty-three years. “Oh, but it is possible. Not only possible, but it happens more often than you might think.” I countered with the mental images of countless women whose stories underscore the truth. Domestic abuse DOES happen …
So many people seem to be waiting. A good friend is waiting in ICU with her seriously ill husband My son is waiting for complete healing and a blood clot to dissolve Another friend’s son is waiting anxiously for a job opening My nephew is waiting for the day his bride walks down the aisle …
How sad when our faith becomes glib—as ordinary as a slice of wheat toast. Then something happens that jerks us back into life and reminds us how much we need each other. Sometimes when people ask for prayer on social media, I scroll quickly through the problem. Busy with my own challenges. Figuring others will …
While my son was in surgery, I planned to write several blog posts, work on a newspaper column, maybe read a bit. My bag was filled with pens, paper, books. Any activity to forget my precious son was lying on a sterile table in a brightly-lit operating room. But the waiting room was so loud …