Stretch Marks

Stretch Marks

My daughter after open heart surgery My younger sister recently had her first baby– an adorable little human with fuzzy hair, a cute nose and tiny perfect fingers.  Her baby’s entrance to this world was a bit stressful, including a C-section, the cord...

Something to Struggle With

“[God] is the best writer, too,” Gabriel said to me. “Why’s that?” I asked. “Because he gives every good writer something to struggle with and try to work out by writing down. That’s genius.” – John Corey Whaley,...
Holding Hands

Holding Hands

A friend said recently that he could understand my wanting someone’s hand to hold as I sit in church.  I’ve thought a lot about the truths and lesser lies in that statement, and I’d like to share what I really want. Tim Parkinson on Flickr...
This is Rabat

This is Rabat

I’m writing from Morocco, from the capital city of Rabat. This is where I attended and graduated from high school, where I became aware of international politics, where I discovered chocolate crepes and brochettes (grilled, spiced shish kabobs), where I learned...
Retro Shock, Springtime, and Stealing Lilacs

Retro Shock, Springtime, and Stealing Lilacs

Peter informed me the other day that he would let all his kids get iPhones. And I laughed. When I told him his kids might not even know what an iPhone was he was incredulous. The conversation went something like this: Peter: Why wouldn’t they know what an iPhone...
6 Things I’ve Learned from Being Sick

6 Things I’ve Learned from Being Sick

I’ve spent the past week on the couch with a box of tissues and not enough energy to make it to the bathroom without stopping to rest along the way. Mostly I’ve slept through this sickness, but when I’ve been awake and not coughing I’ve picked...
This is 45 and Single. Again.

This is 45 and Single. Again.

I recently read a blog post titled This is 45 by Emily Mendell. She did a beautiful job describing life in so many ways and inspired me to reflect on my own life. And so my friends, this is 45 and single. Again. 45 and single again is the detour in life that catches...
Waiting for Superman

Waiting for Superman

A friend whose opinion I value recently expressed that he’s tired of girl power stories.  To be honest, I hadn’t noticed that they were prolific. But after he mentioned it, I took a look at my favorite books and movies and saw a definite trend....
Learning to Fly

Learning to Fly

We’ve just finished the holidays, with Christmas trees, parties, gifts and well-wishes for the new year.  All while wars have raged in Syria, South Sudan and other places, including, sometimes, our own homes. When people pray for “Peace on...

Coming Back to October

And then, suddenly, it was October. I honestly hadn’t noticed. Or, maybe I just hadn’t thought about it. School started again. The leaves up in the canyon turned so bright we couldn’t help but stare at them from the valley. And pumpkins suddenly...