The little girl and her mother enter the sandwich shop together, hand in hand. She has clearly dressed herself this morning, as she’s sporting a fluffy tulle skirt over a floral dress and glittery shoes, with accessories galore. She helps her mother order and then finds a table for them. When her mother brings over […]
Category: Purpose
What I’ve learned from my collection of picture frames
It always begins with just one. Any collection starts this way, and then grows and grows until those who know you best just shake their heads when they hear you’ve bought another one. For me, it was a clear plastic picture frame with confetti hearts inside. As a teenager, this seemed fun and youthful and […]
The God Who (still) redeems
I was in third grade when I discovered the magic of glasses. It was as if I went into the optometrist’s office as one person, and I walked out as another. Of course, I hadn’t changed intrinsically, but I had been given a new lens (or in this case, corrective lenses) through which I could […]
Running with Dad
Part 1: Running (an essay I wrote in college) The loudest noise is the sound of my own breathing. I kick against the rocks in my way. “There’s Mrs. Gordon’s house,” my dad points out as he jogs backwards so I can keep up with him. We grow silent as we pass the house where […]
The case of the displaced basket
For those of you who grew up in the 90s, you may recall the country decor that all of our mothers had in our homes – the wooden ducks with bows around their necks, those wooden heart cut outs nearly everywhere, the apple- or pineapple-themed kitchens and stencil borders. And the rag dolls – whether […]
What the world needs now is love, genuine love
The other day, I was jamming along to tunes from the 60s in my car, when I was swept away in an instant to childhood by the tune What the World Needs Now Is Love. Perhaps I should explain. My sisters and I loved to have shopping days with my mom. We lived out in […]
Be kind when you rewind
It was our Friday night go-to, a remnant that lingered from when we were dating. After a long work week, both my husband Matt and I looked forward to a trip to Blockbuster. As soon as we entered the store, it was like Friday-night vibes descended upon us. We relaxed our shoulders. We took deep […]
Busted – when our hearts speak
She would sweep up to the front of the classroom, her long skirt rustling, her glorious curls bouncing. She wore colorful reading glasses on a beaded string like a necklace, was quick to laugh at the antics of her students, and was always excited to teach us something new in biology. Ever-present coffee cup in […]
You’ve got mail – what we can learn from the shepherds in the nativity story
Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the […]
Bringing a sacrifice of praise
I love an interesting family bookshelf – a good mix of standing books and stacked books, paired with fun and funky treasures picked up here and there. My brother has traveled extensively, so my bookshelves feature knickknacks from places all around the world, along with baby pictures and wedding pictures and clay sculptures my husband […]
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