faith
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How a season of isolation is giving us a hunger for heaven.
We are told to be alone right now, and I keep thinking about heaven. We are hunkered down at home. Some of us have finally gotten around to, and even finished, those projects we never thought we’d start. Others of us have given an embarrassing amount of time to Words With Friends; I somehow land…
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A reflection on 2019, a year of challenge and kindness.
An Ode to the Wins and Setbacks of 2019 If you know me, you know I love tradition and can tie sentiment to anything. But this winter, we gave up some things – traditions, expectations, rituals, shopping adventures. This season, working to get out of student loan debt has made a tremendous impact on our…
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Practicing gratitude a second time.
“We will feast in the house of Zion we will sing with our hearts restored ‘He has done great things’ we will say together we will feast, and weep no more.” Sandra McCracken, “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” I’m wrapping up the second week of writing down all the things to be…
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Practicing gratitude.
As I shared in last week’s story, I am participating in NaNoWriMo. I also shared that I am keeping track of little moments I’m grateful for in a small composition book I’m carrying with me this month. Both have been surprisingly challenging. More on that to come. Before I get back to writing the manuscript…
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Declaring November the month of writing & gratitude.
“‘That’s right,’ said Gandalf. ‘Let’s have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to be enough for all of you. If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes. There is a lot more in him than you may guess, and a…
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About the cats and the houseplants.
Nearly all my houseplants are a blend of vibrant green, and a pathetic shade of darkened brown. Lack of sunlight, or too much water aren’t the issues. Actually, it’s that the cats love to gnaw on them. I’ve tried a few different tricks in the book. I’ve placed double-sided sticky tape around the plant to…
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Thursdays are a great day to try something new.
A scene that describes my early mornings lately: waking up early to grab a cup of coffee and cast vision to bold ideas. Like, really bold ideas. On Tuesdays that means teaching a class before my “real” job. On Wednesdays it’s a Bible study. On Thursdays it’s project planning. I didn’t really set out to…
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We’re faithful planters who work together and don’t give up.
Smells of meat and rice interlaced with turmeric, coriander, and cumin wafted from the kitchen. Folding chairs lined the walls of the living room, save for a corner where a table of desserts covered the surface. Music with beats and tones that blended in the Middle East saturated the air we mingled in. Travis and…
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Two podcasts that have nothing to do with refugees.
There are a few things teaching me how to be more wise with my time right now: Sticking to my social media time limits (usually.) Writing down mostly reasonable goals with a box beside each one so I can feel the satisfaction of checking it off when I’m finished. Podcasts. Let’s talk about number 3.…