When I was a child, at times I felt a little crazy. Everybody in fourth grade was going about their business, it seemed— writing in math workbooks, sitting at desks all plopped in a row. My classmates sniffed smelly erasers …
Advent 2017: Hope Behind a Chain-linked Fence
Inside the eyes of refugee children, I found myself swimming in hope this week. It wasn’t the kind of hope that I expect during the holidays. It didn’t come with bells or fancy songs or a thousand lights. But this …
The Worst Vacation Days (Sometimes) Make the Best Memories
We were about to travel to see butterflies. It seemed like the right thing to do, since from the window of our vacation rental home in Holland Michigan, the landscape looked like someone had forgotten to switch the lights on …
Becoming an Adventurer (Again)
No matter what kind of person you are today, I bet you were once an adventurer. As an infant, you probably dared to stretch out of your comfort zone toward the unknown. If you were healthy, you lifted your knees, …
Aren’t We Beautiful?
Imagine staring down inside your body with God eyes. You could perceive every shift of blood and thought, each movement of bone and muscle. You could see your brain changing, your soul evolving, your heart beating as you move along …
Running For My Life
“Hey Mom, you need to write about your running,” said my 10-year-old son. “Tell people why you run so much.” We were walking home from church, kicking ice balls down the sidewalk. I shivered a little harder. My son had …
A Tribe of Foreigners
We were all born foreigners. Our mothers’ wombs forced us to depart from the cozy comfort of a tiny space out into the cool, wide-open, confusion of the world. We were likely flung into the scent of humans, of antiseptic, …
Your Incredible (Sometimes Grey) Life
I bet some days you wake feeling bored, lonely or unsatisfied with motherhood. Perhaps there are even weeks and months where everything looks grey. You’re feeling you aren’t handling your children, your job or your marriage quite well enough. Do …
Don’t Worry, My Child
You do not have to worry, child. Not about the spelling quiz, the untied shoes, the next soccer game, the day you are late to school. Don’t worry that you will have to stand in the front row of the …
Our Family Home
How do you define home? Is it the result of the neighborhood you choose, the messages and furnishings you fill it with, or the love you provide? In part, certainly all of these matter. But can you follow a step-by-step …
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