Thirty Three
Dear Emily, When I turned 33 you were one week old. Now you are 33 and in one week I will be twice your age! When I was 33 I was overwhelmed at the prospect of being a mom. I am still overwhelmed, but not with worry or anxiety, nor with sleep deprivation or with…
When you wrote your name of my heart!
So I did a thing. Not a big deal and I am even unsure if I will keep this post up telling about it. There are so many opinions about this topic and I do not want to be part of the conversation about whether or not it is “okay” or not. Backing up, I…
My Coda
In music a coda is the satisfying elaboration at the end of a piece of music that offers a sense of resolution. If I got the chance to have a final word, I am not sure I would have the wherewithal to come up with all the right words in the moment. But I am…
Remembered and Celebrated
I am not one who typically dwells on the past nostalgically. I have never gone to one of my high school reunions and I do not make scrapbooks. While I love sharing memories and looking at pictures, I choose not to live life looking in the rearview mirror often. I am not saying that nostalgia…
Vacation Time
I have resorted to a writing prompt about vacations!!! I don’t know who invented vacations. The internet claims it was the Romans. I don’t think I would call any of the travels in the Old Testament vacations. Pilgrimages and migrations don’t really count, and it was technically work trips taken by the explorers in the…
Chicago 2025
When Jim died we made the decision to honor his life and not his death. It seems a moot point since he died 3 days before his birthday but that is not my point. The only death we want to commemorate in an ongoing way is that of Jesus. We decided 5 years ago, however, …
Grace Eddies
Grace eddies. It swirls. It makes all the difference. It changes everything. I know because I experience it constantly. I am reminded repeatedly how hints of grace keep showing up in surprising places daily. The intellectual knowledge of grace is not enough once a person has experienced the practical reality of a life shaped by…
Sunrise – Sunset
Last week I was visiting with some lifelong friends, and we were watching the sunset along the shore in Oceanside. All along the beach people were coming outside to watch the show. One of my friends, with a glint of the fading sun in his eye, stated, “Why do we all do this? It happens…
Pops Concert 2025
In the fall of 1977, when I started as a freshman at Biola, my dad told Mr. Lutke that I played clarinet. Mr. Lutke persistently called me until I would give him an audition and a promise to give the band a try. If I had not joined, I would never have met Jim nor…
Passover 2025
This year I had the privilege of learning more about the significance of the Seder meal and the Passover. First Jennifer R., who is a missionary with Jews for Jesus, was giving presentations about it and she practiced with me as her audience. Then, I was invited to Dr. Ron Pierce’s home to enjoy a…