The seasonal site where we’ve parked our new-to-us camping trailer for the summer is close enough to home to commute back and forth easily. We hope to do that often. On our first afternoon at camp, our daughter Amanda and I and a few of the grandchildren made our way …
When I mentioned I was looking for a used camping trailer, daughter Amanda, delighted, immediately went hunting the ads. After seeing an advertisement for a refurbished 1979 model, she messaged the seller: “Hello! Can you tell me more about the camper you have for sale? I am very interested, as …
My mother loved Jesus. And as did he, she also loved children and babies. Some she birthed, others she welcomed as part of the family. She also had a small collection of mostly baby dolls. “This one looks just like….” she said sometimes, stroking a cheek. When Mom died at …
“I have no patience for the bleeding hearts who rescue stupid animals when there are so many human beings in the world that need help.” Those words on my Facebook page caught my attention during what I’ve come to call “my cat summer.” A family of cats – mama and three …
Lord, here we are again. Broken hearts all round; stars, still new, still beautiful, still shining, plunging before they’re spent. Families bleeding grief for lives lost and futures changed and nothing will be the same for anyone in that crash again – or anyone who cared for anyone in that …
Some Sundays, I confess, I wonder why I bother attending church. Not because I don’t love God, like the people, or appreciate the pastor. Not even because it’s inconvenient to do so. I’ve spent most Sunday mornings of my life in a church pew. But I confess I’ve developed …
The mother of a toddler told me that her son had started calling her God. “I didn’t get it,” she laughed, “but we finally figured it out.” Every mealtime, the family grace included, “Thank you God, for this food.” Since she had prepared and served the meal, the child came to …
Every Easter, the Preacher pulls out our guitar, sits down, clears his throat and begins. It’s one of our family’s favourite traditions: “The gates and doors were barred, all the windows fastened down. I spent the night in sleeplessness And rose at every sound; half in hopeless sorrow, and half …
Sometimes, during a life transition, even an anticipated one, the road stretching ahead appears as murky as fog on an unfamiliar highway. Several of our friends have turned onto that highway by choice. “We’re excited,” they say, “But of course we wonder….” What if that new job seems perfect in …
Delores, Loretta, Nadine. Sheryl and Susan. A few others and myself. Our circle of friends has met for years. We connect online, too, but mostly we gather weekly. Same time, same place. We each bring our own lunch, everything from drive-through salad to slow-cooked soup and fresh-baked muffins. Or nothing …
