Grief is funny stuff…not funny-humorous, but funny-quirky, unexpected, unlooked for. This morning I noticed my mother’s ring on the window sill in the kitchen. It rests on the neck of a little, clear-glass bird (a gift from my late sister-in-law) made for just such a purpose. My mother’s knuckles were Read more…
The branch was cracking near its the main trunk. I’m amazed it survived the last big wind. It was reaching over the yard to the sidewalk almost a dozen feet away. It had borne several large crops of lemons over the last few seasons, but it was not healthy. It Read more…
So…It’s kind of like crabgrass. It starts out soft and bright green. It feels good on bare feet, the chickens enjoy grazing on it and it is a welcome sight after the brown of winter. And then it happens: Seed stalks begin to grow. Not just upright, they lay down Read more…
Sitting in my recently restored quiet space, I saw my little flock of chickens pecking at the greens whose abundant leaves lean against the garden fence. They love the greens, and their beaks don’t reach very far. It’s a reasonable arrangement. A few days ago, however, the fence was left Read more…
God designed and planted the first garden to meet the needs and satisfy the desires of His image-bearers. In it was every tree that was beautiful and fruitful. The gardener in me sighs longingly at this phrase. To grow artichokes for the beauty of them does not deny me a Read more…
One very everyday thing is the news. The headlines are alarming. The trends are disheartening. The need for prayer is great, the list long. It can be overwhelming, and anxiety-producing. Jesus says not to fear nor be anxious, but to take heart and never stop praying. Good luck with that…I Read more…
She was old, though not as old as she seemed. The years of stress and cigarettes had stripped her of beauty. Macular degeneration had robber her of most of her sight, small strokes were diminishing her ability to remember, and what she did “remember” became suspect, and cancer was already Read more…
About six months ago we bought four fuzzy featherballs, hoping for fresh eggs. It’s felt like a long wait. Last week we started finding the treasures we anticipated! Instead of the blue eggs I was told to expect, they have been pinkish tan and a deep russet. The first one Read more…
We are celebrating the coming of the Christ Child as Emmanuel, the With-Us God. Since the week before Christmas, I have been encouraging visitors to our home to acknowledge what they need, what their hearts need, and offer it to Jesus, taking in exchange a star with a specific promise Read more…
O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in Your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You… my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. Let the morning bring Read more…