memoir monday – comforting compress
I leaned heavily on her forearm as she escorted me through the dental surgeon’s office door. In a blurred haze, I shuffled across the hot asphalt of the parking lot until she eased me into the passenger seat of the waiting car. How I got from the car to the couch remains a mystery. I have no recollection of the car ride home, or the transition from the vehicle to the house. All I can remember is waking up on the blue leather couch, propped up by pillows, and sticky from the thick summer air. Gobs of blood-soaked gauze hung from both sides of my mouth in an awkward, uncomfortable grip. ...
when we don’t use our gifts
It was two weeks before Christmas. I stood in our local Dollar Store, watching my six-year-old son out of the corner of my eye, trying my hardest to make it seem like I wasn’t looking. Per his request, he strolled alone, craning his neck to see over the plastic cart he pushed, doing his best to act grown up. In his left palm was pressed his only dollar bill, “plus six cents for tax, Mom.” He slowly and deliberately weaved up and down each aisle, calculating and considering every option. He was on a mission. A secret mission. “Don’t watch me, Mom,” he had pleaded. “I’m...
a promise in pieces – a book review
I had the great privilege of receiving a preview copy of Emily Wierenga’s debut novel, A Promise in Pieces: Quilts of Love Series, and let me tell you — it was an absolute delight to read. The pages trace the tale of a woman named Clara, who reflects at the turn of the century on her life-changing experience as a young nurse during World War II. Clara reveals the details of her memoir in a Caravan of relatives — an audience which includes her grandson, Noah, whose attention is locked on his grandmother’s life story. The extended family has embarked on a road trip which will culminate in...
an infinite journey – a review
Andrew Davis’ book, An Infinite Journey: Growing toward Christlikeness, is a real diamond in the rough. I received a free copy for review from the publisher, Ambassador International, and to say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a gross understatement. What first drew me to request this book was the raving review written by Tim Challies. Upon receiving my own copy, I was amazed to find praise from D.A. Carson adorning the cover as well. My respect for both of these thinkers and writers was a sturdy preface indicating the quality of the content to come. I was not disappointed....
a memoir – the day i almost died
It’s the closest I’ve ever come to dying. The setting: The Kern River of Southern California, Class III/IV whitewater rapids. I was a teenager in high school, out from Michigan with my younger sister, my dad and his girlfriend, to visit my elder sister and her fiance during spring break. A typical teenager, I acted all adventurous and daring, but might have held my breath a little during the ‘safety speech.’ And on the river … well … I basically held on for dear life, as we weaved through protruding boulders, the nose of the raft diving down in despair, then lurching up in redemption...
another letter to grief
Dear Grief, It's been a while since I last wrote to you, that time I told you that you're not a process. And since Christ hasn't returned yet, you're still here, in all your multiple personalities. You're like a fingerprint, leaving a unique mark and lasting impression on each person you inhabit. And like fingerprints, you can take ten different shapes at any moment of any given day. Even if seared or burned, you linger under the surface, reappearing with time, unwilling to be destroyed, erased, forgotten. You have a green ink stain on one of your prints, the distasteful shade of...
when God makes it grow
After Nelson Mandela died, I posted this photographic tribute to South Africa .. a land that has seeped into my veins after a decade of sipping Rooibos, stirring pap and attempting to decipher the myriad of cultures that comprise the rich, red soil of that breath-taking country. The country my children and husband call home. Today, an amazing thing is going down in cyberspace. A ginormous chain is being created, with hands joining from every corner to make one woman's dream a reality.Lisa-Jo Baker, blogger, author and believer that every mother should have a superhero cape, has...
rolling up the stairs
It was my privilege to guest post over at Bronwyn's Corner this week. She and her ministry of words have been such a blessing and encouragement to me. I encourage you to pop over and pay her a visit by clicking here. Below is the post that first appeared on her blog. Living in West Michigan this winter has been Down. Right. Crazy. The snow just Will. Not. Stop. Frequent hours have been spent at the end of our driveway, heaving shovel after shovel of brown, wet slush over my shoulder onto the white banks that stand as sentries on either side, now taller than my head and growing every...
your pain has a purpose
I have a limited threshold for listening to the news. My stomach churns and I swallow hard as I hear story after story of brokenness. Like shards of glass pieced together, the resulting mosaic has very few smooth edges. Shards of large scale calamities. Tsunamis swallowing entire villages. Hurricanes ripping through hearts and homes. Government corruption. Human trafficking. Missile attacks. Economic instability. School shootings. All stemming from the same source — a bite of fruit in a perfect garden. I turn off the radio with a heavy sigh, unable to take any more. But the shards of...
how christian parents are missing the point
I once attended a parenting seminar where the speaker asked parents, “What is your ultimate goal in raising your children?” How would you answer that question? Some people in the group gave very noble and biblical answers, like, “I want my kids to grow up to know and love the Lord.” Others desired that their children would get a decent job, have a nice family, and be happy. We all want the very best for our kids, don’t we? The problem, however, comes when society muddles the definition of what ‘the very best’ really means when it comes to our kids. Let’s consider some ways that...
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