I have two sons, and my oldest son’s recent high school graduation has brought on a flood of emotions. Mothers tend to want more for their children than they had, and I find myself thinking about my son’s relationship with his dad. I wanted my sons to have a bond with him because I’d always…
I successfully raised two lovely little girls to adulthood, and I have a confession to make: I truly hated playing Barbies. Nor did I care for teddy bear tea parties, building forts, or arts and crafts projects of any kind. Although I encouraged my children to nurture their imaginations through creative storytelling, playing make-believe mommy…
Regardless of our political persuasions, I think we can all agree we live in a culture that leans toward the judgmental. How does this current climate affect us as followers of Christ, especially when we encounter those living in poverty? In an effort to be less “judgmental,” some Christians have swung all the way to…
“I’m pregnant. I wasn’t sure how to tell you,” said my curly-headed, sometimes-spacey fifteen-year-old friend. I was seventeen. I had last seen her a year earlier. We’d sat up late into the night, and she’d spilled out all the seedy details of her life, expecting me to be shocked and ashamed. Instead I nodded my…
I planted my first garden this year. It’s just a tiny plot, a four-foot-by-four-foot raised bed. There’s a tomato plant in the center, surrounded by peppers, summer squash, a watermelon (which I pray won’t blossom until the vine gets long enough that it extends past the bed), a green bean plant, and a cucumber. There’s…
“Hearts don’t break around here.” ~Ed Sheeran, singer/songwriter During spring break I was poolside, soaking in the sun and feeling happy to have a good pair of sunglasses and an engaging book. Sunny music interwove itself with my good feelings, courtesy of my daughter’s newly created spring break playlist. The songs ebbed and flowed around…