We were done with elementary-school trends. Oh, we had given in to the silly-band hysteria, the Rainbow-Loom craze, and the Shopkins madness. And finally, my husband and I had said, “Enough.” So when thinking putty emerged as the next big trend among elementary-aged kids, we weren’t having it. Our daughter Kendall’s toy bins were overflowing […]
Category: Purpose
Wanting the miracle, missing the more
I grew up in the country. We watched the sun set while playing a family game of softball in the front yard as Mom cooked dinner. We spent most of our time roaming around our family’s land in our bare feet. The bottoms of our feet were so calloused during the summer that we could […]
When you’re tired of surprises
Growing up, I looked forward to Sundays with all of my young heart. Mornings were for church, and afternoons were for hanging out with my bestie, Deborah. We alternated between going to her house after church or mine. On this particular Sunday, it was my turn to host, and Deborah and I changed out of […]
The little quads that could: a lesson in compassion
The story has been told many times in many ways by many great storytellers, and we all know it well. A little railroad engine meant for pulling cars on and off the switches agrees to take on a monumental task, one far too great for its capabilities. But this little engine is determined to complete […]
In pursuit of wonder
As a very cautious, rule-following teenager, the prospect was a bit out of my comfort zone. A group of friends wanted to go mudding. Having grown up in the country, I had seen muddy trucks my whole life, but I had never been in one when it acquired all of that mud. A guy in […]
Fresh hope for weary vessels
We walked down the aisle full of binders, searching for just the right one to house my latest writings. “It needs to be a really nice one, since it will hold something so important to you,” my then-boyfriend urged. “Get the best one they have!” And so I did. It was, after all, just a […]
A vision for 2020
Having just celebrated the Christmas season, the bright wrapping paper and the glittery bows and all of the anticipation over giving our loved ones special presents are all still fresh in many of our minds. I remember my daughter’s second Christmas. She was only a week old for her first Christmas, so she wasn’t at […]
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 […]
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