You carefully prepare the soil and plant two identical gardens. In the first, the little seedlings are nurtured, fertilized, mulched and weeded with an abundance of love, patience and attention. The other plot gets nothing from you except for an occasional condemnation: “Why can’t you grow up big and strong like your sibling?” Oh, fine. […]
When little is big
June 11, 2012 By 22 Comments
It’s a conundrum, really. How can something little actually be bigger than it initially appears? Well, consider this: Have you ever helped a friend with something simple, perhaps picking up something at the grocery store, and they gushed with appreciation? Have you ever given a small gift that the recipient treasured more than it’s actual […]
If I’m not ok, will you offer me your loaves and fish?
May 14, 2012 By 18 Comments
Polite society demands that when we run into a friend, we ask how they are doing. Polite society then requires our friend to respond with a short and sweet, and often untrue, answer. What good does that do any of us? If we are not willing to open up and admit our infallibility to say […]
When the April Atlantic trumps the urgent
April 16, 2012 By 23 Comments
Sometimes we get so busy we forget to take our own advice. We lose sight of the strong, silent important amidst the loud, clamoring urgent. Take this past weekend, for example. I visited my dear hubbie at the modest apartment he’s renting while he’s away at his current work assignment. Like all of […]
Is your Supermom cape taking you to the breaking point?
April 12, 2012 By 15 Comments
As moms, we often work so hard living up to unrealistic images of perfection from society, our families, our mothers and our own personal DNA. We buy into the culture of being a supermom, even if it just about kills us in the process. Lisa-Jo of the Gypsy Mama wrote an uplifting post about it […]
Moms-Take five for a date
April 9, 2012 By 21 Comments
Moms, we are notorious for not taking time for ourselves. Do our kids need help with homework? We’re there. Is our child’s sports team asking for volunteers? We’re on it. Does someone need to get to an appointment? We’ll drive them. We will just keep scraping the bottom of the barrel for any […]
A distance too far
April 5, 2012 By 1 Comment
This April marks the 100th anniversary of the glory and wonder of the Titanic being launched, while it also marks the somber occasion of the sad and horrifying story of its tragic sinking. Tricia Goyer, award winning author of 30 books and hundreds of articles, is hosting a month-long celebration of everything Titanic in […]
Five Minute Friday-Loud
March 23, 2012 By 14 Comments
Shhhh. Can’t you just be quiet? Are you sure you want to wear that outfit? Don’t you want to be pretty? Don’t you want to be liked? Do you really think that joining that group is a good idea? Uh oh. I can hear my inner child ramping up the volume in response. But I’m […]
Five Minute Friday-Brave
March 16, 2012 By 14 Comments
photo: stevendepolo Brave? That word used to send me scurrying under the bed with my good buddies the dust bunnies. They were good company: quiet, companionable, and most importantly, asked nothing of me. We’d just rest there until Miss Fearsome Opportunity stopped her insistent knocking on the door and moved along to scare share with […]
Offering ourselves grace
March 14, 2012 By 7 Comments
You know the drill. You line the kids up before they sit down at the table, and ask to check their hands to see if they are actually clean. A reasonable request, don’t you think? What if God lined us up at the end of the day, and asked to inspect our hearts, especially in […]
