Weekly Column
I Was Glad He Broke His Leg
Each year when I taught elementary school there was that one kid. The one who made my life as a teacher extra hard. The one who challenged everything I did. The one that pushed all my buttons and made my hair turn gray. For discussion’s sake, I will call him Clyde. Clyde was known for […]
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The Land of What Ifs
“No, stop right there. We aren’t even going there,” my husband stopped my youngest in midsentence. “Well, why not?” “Because that’s not real. You are living in the land of What Ifs. We need to live in the land of What Is.” This is a regular conversation at our house. Our kids come up with […]
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Made New
Five years ago, my husband and I spent eight months carefully tearing down an old church building, trying to salvage all the usable wood for our future home. That eight-month stretch was one of the hardest times in the life of our family. Along with trying to tear down the building, our five-month-old caught RSV, […]
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No, Thank You
“No, thank you,” I replied. What I really wanted to say was, “Yes, please. A giant serving with chocolate drizzled on top. And while you’re at it, send some home with me to eat later because I will want to have a taste before bed.” Earlier that day at the grocery store, tears formed in […]
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Keep the Path Clear
I mowed the path around our field and asked myself, “Why am I doing this? We hardly ever walk around the field anymore. Why am I wasting my effort?” Soon after, I recognized the height of the grass to either side of my trail. It was taller than the mower and there was no way […]
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Careful, Not Fearful
We had a large event planned at church this weekend. Excitedly we prepped and prayed in anticipation of being together. But a day before the event, news of a spike in local Coronavirus cases caused concern. Then many who would be in attendance reported being exposed to others who now had it and many more […]
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“Snakey” Instincts
“What in the world is that dog after?” I yelled from around the corner. My husband and I were working in the new house installing ceiling boards. Frank, our wild, hooligan of a dog, was obviously trailing a scent through the new house and barking like a maniac. “It’s probably his shadow. I’ll go find […]
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Life. Is. Hard.
“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard. Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard. Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can […]
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When I “Pea” on the Floor
“Well, listen. Don’t worry about spilling stuff all over yourself. I’ve already dropped peas on my pants and then they fell on the floor. So, essentially, I just “pea”ed on the floor.” We laughed as I tried to let my friend know she was not alone in her mess. There’s something encouraging in knowing we […]
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