a sign, a story and a stay-at-home time
I guess you could call it a sign of the times. It all started with sidewalk chalk, well actually not. But that was the idea we had. Hopscotch and curlicues drawn along the sidewalk, encouraging passersby to kick up their heels and play. But this wasn’t what was in the package when our order arrived. […]
Suddenly gone: a season of loss without losing
Something was taken without your permission. Stolen while you weren’t looking. Nipped in the bud. Just as it was blooming, coming together, looking up, coming to fruition. So much hope. So much potential. So much. Without asking, they shut down your season, closed your show, before you even had a chance to take the stage. […]
Dialogue with the World: today you have some explaining to do
World, you have some explaining to do! This question needs an answer and I’m done waiting. Why do bad things happen to good people?To strengthen them, World replies. But a person who is dear to me is now very weak.Ah, but you are only looking at what you can see. And you can see more?Not […]
Surprised by grace
I returned the book* one day late. I knew it was late. I could have returned it the day before, but I had a few more pages to finish. So I kept it. Kept it from the next person on the list, who had put a hold on it, whose right it was to have […]
Cornerstone
Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1) If you want to build a house, where do you begin? This fascinated me, and frankly would have terrified me, had I not hired expert builders to execute the design drawn by the architect. They […]
Can I tell you a secret?
“Can I tell you a secret?” I whispered to the little boy. The very little boy who told me he was two as he climbed across the table after dumping the entire contents of the bag of blocks onto the floor after emptying the cart full of plastic food into the plastic sink and trying […]
Use it or lose it. done.
Use it or lose it applies in, as far as I can tell, every situation. But what I’ve learned from those aging gracefully is there is no need to tell them that “no pain, no gain” is just bunk.
Will this be life-giving for me?
How can we tell if something is alive? Biologists look for 5 traits, processes or functions as signs of life: metabolism (consume, construct, destruct, excrete) growth (learn, build, improve) reproduction (spawn offspring or ideas) responsiveness (sensitive, attentive, active) movement (action, progress, liveliness) These are the characteristics of life — the life of anything. That’s cool, […]
Cause to pause
Walking from here to there causes me to pause… and then to consider what else bids me tarry. prayer & meditation sunrise & sunset starry skies & awe children & wonder worship play dis-health & disease caring & loving table meals & table fellowship phone calls letter writing Christmas cards births & deaths weddings & […]
The Space Between Gratitude and Glory
“You can make people feel,” he told me. That’s high praise, coming from a world famous poet and a marvelous compliment coming from a person who is in touch with “all the feels.” But it’s not me “making people feel.” The stories I share and the way I share them is thanks to the people who […]