It’s one of those things you joke about until you really need it. The Lamaze breathing. Whoo-whoo-whee-whee. A pattern of quick, short breaths with long ones at intervals that is supposed to help a mother through childbirth. Really, it’s just a way to make you concentrate on something other than utter pain. I’m not a […]
Author: Courtnie Lawrence
In His Might
It was the summer of 2012. My daughter was six and was freshly out of school, where she had been taught by a number of teachers and played with a number of friends all year long. And now, it was just the two of us. On a budget. At home. Staring at one another. She, […]
Hope For Those Who Ride Unicorns
One beautiful day years ago, when Kendall was in elementary school, her teacher decided to take the class on the scenic route from the classroom to the lunchroom, which meant that they got to walk outside. So they set out in their traditional single-file line, and all was well. That is, until my whimsical daughter […]
Keeping a Tender Heart in the Wake of Injustice
I have a confession to make: I’m a sucker for a good chick flick. I love those fun, light-hearted movies of the romantic comedy variety. And I tend to like ones made back in the 90s or early 00s. The newer ones seem more crass and just less adorable, in my middle-aged opinion. I normally […]
When the manna runs out
I always thought that, if I were blessed with a child, I would grieve each stage as it passed. That I would cry when she stopped sleeping with her favorite blanket or started saying words correctly instead of with the adorable, yet incorrect, pronunciation of a young child. I thought I would be so sad […]
A Very Courageous Oreo
Some people are really good in a crisis situation. They spring to action and figure out how to most effectively put out that fire or solve that problem or clean up that mess. As an adult, I’m learning how to do this. But growing up, we had a running joke in our family that my […]
What to Expect
Back when I was in high school, I spent a couple summers working at a day care. And I was amazed at how some of the children – even the little ones, at only two years old – were relentless in their quest to know every single thing we were planning to do that day. […]
When You’re Just Done
It was a crisp, almost-fall day 10 years ago when we set out to our local State Fair. My mom, my two sisters, my nephews, and my daughter were all so excited to see the sights, ride the rides, and of course, eat that deep-fried fair food. The day was warming up nicely by about […]
Jumpy Spiders, Brave Sisters, and a Caring God
It’s been a lifelong struggle for me, this battle between icky spider and frightened girl. Growing up, my older sister Kelley was my hero. I would spot a spider, yell for Kelley, and in she would fly – minus the cape, but carrying some makeshift weapon (usually a shoe). And she, my dear, brave sister, […]
Just Shy of the Promise
I was a junior in college. It was Super Bowl night. I had been sick all weekend and had missed a ministry trip that I was supposed to lead. It was the first night I actually emerged from my rumpled bed to communicate with other human beings. I didn’t feel very attractive with my puffy […]
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