To every season, there is a thing (or two, or three…).
Before we get too far into 2022, it’s time for my year-end review of 2021. To recount the difficult things we’ve survived. To remember the good things we’ve enjoyed. But mostly, to give thanks for all the things.
Here are All the Things of 2021, as they unfolded for our family, season by season.
Read MoreThe process of “self-improvement” is similar to my current “home-improvement”. The steps taken and struggles encountered in making over any aspect of our lives can be an all-consuming journey. But if we follow through with the project, the end result is so satisfying!
Read MoreNow that we’re older (and hopefully wiser), let’s reset our view. God’s Word is a great place to start, as the Bible is full of inspiration and instructions to keep our focus on “things above”. Here are six ways the Bible reminds us to look up–to find joy and hope–regardless of our age.
Read MoreLike the typical stance on my road bike, looking down at one’s wheel on the road or your feet on the path steals the glimpses of beauty that surround you. And yet, many aspects of aging do cause our eyes to look down. Our bodies’ depreciation keeps us focussed on ourselves and our problems.
Read MoreIt struck me how closely joy and grief resided in my heart. I’m not sure why it surprised me, as those two emotions have been playing tug-o’-war in human hearts for as long as human hearts have had feelings. And the battle continues.
Read MoreWhen we consider anniversaries, we may not all be lucky enough to make it to 64 years. Whether we hit ten years, the silver 25, the ordinary 33, or the golden 50, our next anniversary together is never guaranteed. And so we celebrate while we can.
Read MoreMom’s heart of love pulled us in. As her memory and skills faded, as grief over the loss of Dad enveloped her, and as her body failed her, she never focused on herself or her suffering. Instead, she brought us together. We came to care for her, to protect her, and to love on her, as she had always done for us.
Read MoreI can still picture it. We’re on a plane and I have the window seat. After hours over the Atlantic Ocean, the landscape that appears below is the prettiest shade of green. Of course it is. After all, it’s called the “Emerald Isle”. Our dream trip to Ireland is about to begin.
Except that it doesn’t.
Read More…But where did that leave me? I had spent eighteen years caring for, teaching, and raising this child. I was his advisor and biggest cheerleader. And then, as fast as you can say “meet me at the dining hall” it was all over. He was off and gone.
Read More…I poured out my own servant-love on my children. It was hard work and though I complained and often grew tired, fully giving of myself had its own rewards. I watched as my children grew, learned, and became less dependent on me.
Then the tables turned. As my children needed less of me, my parents needed more.
Read MoreWhat this is about is the right that every individual has to communicate. Our freedom of speech is so important that our forefathers included it in the first amendment to our constitution. Still, with rights come responsibilities. And it’s what we do with that right, with our gift of speech, that matters.
Read MoreJust as we begin each new year with goals and resolutions, it’s transformative to end an old year well; to reflect on what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown. We don’t always see blessings in the midst of challenges, but events become clearer as we look back.
As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.
Read MoreThis is day four of my time in isolation. Day six since the onset of symptoms.
It was a matter of time. No matter how careful I was in wearing my mask and social distancing, I had seen the virus work its way into the lives of friends and family. It was relentless in finding any small opening in which to infect another unsuspecting soul.
Read MoreThe oak cross between the windows stood out against the wide green cloth behind it. The communion table, also draped in the green cloth of “Ordinary Time,” seemed anything but ordinary to me, as I recalled walking up to that table last March…
Read MoreAs we embark on any new journey, we can find promise and possibility by chasing the joy, rather than focusing on the pain. It’s true for biking. I’ve discovered it’s also true for empty-nesting.
How then, can we chase joy in the empty nest?
Read MoreWhen my husband and I later visited the Big Apple in 2015, we spent over four hours at the World Trade Center 9-11 Memorial. Thinking back, I remembered my high school days and how I had seen the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and other New York landmarks.
But I couldn't remember the World Trade Center. I wondered, "How is that even possible?”
Read MoreYou know how it seemed like everyone was choosing a “Word for 2020” when January rolled around? Is it too late to jump on that bandwagon?
It may be cheating for me to pick my word of the year when the year is two-thirds over, but hey, I still have four months to make it my focus. And maybe I’ll carry it over to 2021, in which case I’m four months early! So I’m going for it.
Without further ado…
Read MoreEven though the tears have mostly dried up, at times the sadness envelops me and I feel that dull ache of emptiness. I often remember the mountaintop days of February 2020, and I’m astounded at how much I took for granted.
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