The nurse practitioner began pulling away, then rebounded, holding the stethoscope firmly to my chest. “Just a sec, I want to listen a little longer,” she said. “Okay.” I wait, conscious of her concentration, until she steps back to address me. “You know your heart just stopped.” “I’ve suspected that.” She continued, “It happens to my …
If a millimeter or second had been off, I would have died by overdosing, impaling, drowning, falling out of a car, colliding with a car on a bike, and suffocating on a lodged carrot. I’m not a stand out person, so why would God orchestrate the right people to be Johnny-on-the-spot in these situations, unless …
For my first splash into watercoloring, I painted a sunset. After the paint dried, I thought to paint a sunrise opposite the sunset, because at every sunset, the sun rises for people on the opposite side of the world. What a thought! Those twin events are distinguishable only by differing perspectives. Could they be different …
I mumble when people ask about how Lent is going. I promoted preparing for Easter, but this year I’m bombing it. How could I have allowed Lent to gather lint? God is teaching me this season but not through my Lenten intention as He has in the past. I wrote about His authority over my …
Moving boxes, in addition to dozens of antiques collected over the years, crowded my friend’s living and dining rooms. Half the boxes had been loaded in the rented truck, but still no furniture. I handed a box to Philip, the next person in the box brigade, and I spoke my mind. “We can fit boxes …
The wheel of busyness spun faster and faster until it threw me off, and I landed in bed with the flu. My head felt like a pumpkin and my body lit like a flair, but the flu was a gift from God to liberate me from the pace of life. God’s pace is an interesting …
Spring break has been rocking in our backyard. The music has been gloriously loud, so much chatter that I don’t mind being an observer instead of a participant. Just listen to the audio file above while you read. Robins dominate the crowd in number, but cardinals and other small songbirds chime in above the hubbub. …
Trail Marker 1 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. verse 6 Trail Marker 2 Purify me with hyssop, And I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be Whiter than snow. verse 7 Trail Marker 3 Make me hear joy …
I remember that first love for my husband. I also remember that first love when I grasped Jesus’ love for me. Time has softened the ridges and washouts of both loves, but often my love becomes downright dull. I pull clothes off hangers and sort laundry, spray stains and search pockets. I fold and hang, …
Zebra drapes across my legs, and I stroke his striped coat. I can hear and feel his purrs, which echo my own enchantment. Is this love? A cool front sweeps away another bout of fog which had hung in the air for days. The air whisks with clarity and exuberance, lifting me in its curling …
“It was great running into you. Let’s do lunch.” “I’d love to—stay in touch.” Friends hug and wave goodbye as they step in different directions with their minds already on the next destination. As days pass, then months, their sincere talk of lunch is locked in the past. To remedy this “out-of-sight/out-of-mind” situation, the zeitgeist …
2019 hovers around the corner. New beginnings excite me, yet they also cloud me with anxiety. I’m afraid that events won’t pan out as I hope or that I won’t accomplish anything. Without goals, I reach the end of the day (or the year) and wonder how I squandered the hours. At the same time, …