Tomorrow Lent begins. Drum roll……………….Will you participate this year? Lent is like Advent. In Advent, we try to wrap our minds around God entering our world as a vulnerable baby. Wow. In Lent, we mull over this God/Man, Jesus, remaining vulnerable to death so we can enter new life. Lent seems to have a pall …
I look forward to Lent. How is that possible? Lent is six and a half weeks of examining my darker side, a time of self-denial and of focus on the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. I wish Lent would hurry and get here, because I am sick and tired of indulging myself, literally. I crave …
Trees, barren of leaves and color, appear dead in winter. Winter that period of waiting, waiting, waiting, with our feet on the edge of despair, willing for life to return when there’s no sign of it. Does life still run underground, bubbling in secret? Weeds have crept over the garden so slowly that I hadn’t …
Two women sat on couches, feet curled underneath and warming their hands on mugs. “You should try painting. I heard it helps with writing.” “Poo. I can’t even draw, my stick figures are pathetic.” “I know just the thing! One of those catalogs of DVD classes came in the mail yesterday, and Beginning Drawing is …
Three women at a corner table in a cafe pray over salads. They discuss current projects and catch up on their families. When the coffee arrives, Ansley poses a question. “Do either of you have new year’s resolutions?” Leslie answers first, “I make goals more than resolutions.” “What’s the difference?” Sharyn asks. “Goals don’t have …
Advent ponders Jesus first and second comings. Thinking about God coming as a babe makes me smile, but I rarely think about Jesus’ second coming. Usually that comes to mind when I’m weary of politics and violence or my failure to live faithfully. In those instances, I’m eager for “every knee to bow and every …
Every year, about the time we begin to wear long sleeves, Mom would call my sister, brother and me together. She would hand us the thick Sears catalog and a red ballpoint pen which wouldn’t smear on shiny pages. “Circle what you want Santa to bring you for Christmas.” She didn’t give parameters like how …
I writhe on the green faux-leather couch. I am the center of a tug-of war-with siblings pulling on my arm and leg, yanking, fighting with each other through my body. The couch’s smooth cover and rigid arms both advance and limit my sliding, this way then that, preventing a decisive win for either side. I, …
Alicia folds into her assigned plane seat. Adjusting earbuds, she is soon lost in the music, oblivious to fellow travelers in her row. With eyes closed and head bobbing, she lip-sings one song after another during the flight. The album captured her the first time she heard it, and she has been listening to it …
With the popularity of comic book characters, you’ve probably thought of what superpower you’d like to have. The ability to fly is high on most peoples’ lists. Time travel and instantaneous distance travel would be pretty nifty too. My choice, however, would be the ability to remember. Wouldn’t you love to keep neat files in …
Am not. Are too. AM NOT! ARE TOO! If you have siblings, you probably remember this argument. We don’t like to be in the wrong, especially when accused by someone else; we stiffen in defense. When we figure out a truth about ourselves on our own, though, we’re forced to admit it or to lie …
Bags packed. ✔️ Boarding passes printed. ✔️House locked. ✔️TSA traversed.✔️ We found two vacant seats, parked our carry-ons and sat. Whew. A quiet Voice gained my attention,“Why are you so uptight? Reset your perspective.” I pulled out the earbuds and wedged them in my ears, then found an app a friend shared (Pray As You …