Typically two things happen at my house when we plan to fast during Lent. First, we forget it’s Lent until about a week in. Second, we don’t make it all the way to the end before we give up. One year we tried […]
When I moved to the country, the idyllic rolling landscape quickly became my nightmare as a runner. The roads are long and the route choices are limited. Regardless of the direction you go, you face …
The kids were dropped off, the kitchen cleaned and the laundry started. I was just about to sit down for some quiet time when my phone rang. Breathless and desperate, my twelve-year-old daughter lamented that …
Did you stop writing? I have been asked this question countless times over the past several months. Aside from the surprise that anyone noticed, I silently cringe at these inquiries. Because I have no real answer. …
Two little girls stood staring across the screen door. Curious. Hesitant. Surveying each-other. Both wore ridiculous dresses adorned with miles of ruffles. Both had disheveled blonde hair and cheeks flushed red from exertion. They could have been …
It’s hard to live in Minnesota in March. Already weary from the long winter, it feels so unfair to wake up to forecasts of snow, cold and rain while the rest of the country is …
This morning, I read a private journal entry from one year ago. In it, I was processing (ok, venting) about a source of pain and frustration in my life. It is almost verbatim what I …
My husband and I were handed the the death sentence of our unborn child in a dark conference room. We sat huddled together in shock, gripping hands as a kind doctor gently explained our son's condition. With tears of disbelief …
I love receiving Christmas cards. In fact, I leave the pictures up all year long because it makes my heart happy to be reminded that I have such great people in my life. But for …
I pulled into my driveway weary. The kids were grouchy, antsy and griping that they were hungry. I pleaded with my daughter to take her brother sledding while I made dinner. They both moaned in …
