God is like a Mom
The Bible is clear on the idea that we understand God better through relationships and comparisons to those people we know. We know what God is like and what He is not like as we interact with the world around us. Jesus told parables of familiar things to help us understand God’s character. By example,…
Happy 7th Anniversary
They say that this anniversary is itchy! I am not sure why people seem to think this is the time couples re-evaluate their relationship when statistics show it happens much earlier in the marriage. I am not sure it is a real thing anyway but I would say that every anniversary is an opportunity to…
Happy Birthday Clay
You are 26 today! When you were born, I could not see this far into the future to imagine what you would be like as an adult. Of course I hoped and prayed for a son to grow into a godly man. Together your dad and I worked hard to instill values and habits that…
Happy Birthday Connor
With this letter I first and foremost want to wish you a happy birthday. I also want to take advantage of it to say thank you, and I love you. Thank you for loving Emily and for the happy moments wee have enjoyed together this past year. Thank you for continuing the pursuit of work and…
Panic Attack Letter (2009)
I wrote this when your dad was first diagnosed with Brain Cancer 13 years ago. I just found it and thought you would get a laugh from it! I was in a bit of a panic at the time so this is very random! Dear Clayton and Emily, I decided to write down some important…
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
We are studying Genesis at church and when I get to the place where Jacob is fleeing for his life after stealing Esau’s birthright and blessing, I am always reminded of the worst night of my life – 11/5/10 when Jim left earth for heaven and I had my own dark night of the soul.…
Joy is not afraid of the Truth
The brief and frequent glimpses of happiness and joy I have tell me that I am loved. That there is something to why I am. This life is short and the next one is not. This life is hard and messy but it is also good and filled with hope. The harsh reality is that…
Using the W word
I am thinking about the day we celebrated Jim in a memorial service on this date in 2010. We had music, balloons, laffy taffy, people from every part of his life and more. It was a “good” day. He was worth celebrating and remembering. I hate the term widow. I don’t know why, but I…
Jim’s Birthday
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Jim; he is tattooed onto my soul with indelible ink. I remember things about him that I admired, his wisdom and thoughtfulness, his quick wit, the soft kiss at the start and end of each day. He never left the house without a magic trick…
Loss
Eleven years ago today, my husband of 30 years, my best friend, the father of my children and a very creative minister left this life for a better one. Over the years he has continued to impact lives for the better by the memories shared of him and I continue to count it a privilege…