How do you feel when you sense “change” is coming to your life? Fearful? Hopeful? Anxious? Relieved? Years ago, I only had one response to impending change…restlessness. The dictionary defines it as “the inability to relax as a result of anxiety” and I certainly knew how to demonstrate it: obsessive cleaning of unseen places, irrational […]
What Is Love?
A little lisp snuck up behind me at the kitchen sink and said “I have a thur-prithe (surprise) for you Mommy! Squash your eye shut!” The out of breath commander just lost her first two teeth and every word snares my attention. With both eyes obediently shut, I spun around with exaggerated excitement and responded, […]
Simple Day at the Inferno
I don’t know how I graduated from college. I actually thought it would be a great idea to take my daughter to a huge outdoor park I had seen the weather forecast for full sun, spray paint humidity and 90 something degree heat. Being the planner that I am, I believed a few bottles of […]
From Provocation To Praise
Are there any places in scripture that you have a hard time reading? The story from First Samuel about Hannah and her barrenness used to be one I liked to skim or skip for years. I would read the first chapter and get to the part where Elkanah would give his wife Peninnah and her […]
Kayaking Conundrum
It was the “three hour tour” without Gilligan and Skipper. I’d never been kayaking before but after 10 minutes of sitting in one, my egotistical, self-confident, used-to-be-athletic self, was rehearsing the drill of escape once it tipped over. Our guide’s last words, as I paddled away spasmodically from the pier were “Shannon, yours rolls a […]
A Soul Like Glass
Nearly everyone old enough to read has heard the phrase “pictures are worth a thousand words.” It’s why my phone, laptop and iPad comprise a monument-sized library within the folders marked “Photos.” But there are times when the Lord gives us a snapshot that a thousand words would only diminish the meaning. As my husband […]
Homecoming for Father’s Day
After the plane landed, I sent a text to my husband “Don’t come inside the airport. Just pick me up at the curb.” The plane stopped about 20 feet from the gate and a picture appeared on my phone with the words “When is Mommy coming?” Heart melted I could only respond, “I will run.” […]
“When Greeting Cards Fail on Mother’s Day”
Hallmark failed me. DaySpring had no contenders. American Greetings, Blue Mountain Arts, and Jacquie Lawson are obviously out of touch with the relationship I have with my mother. I found not one card I could write on, underline, or send with confidence that someone expressed my heart. If I could take the humorous cynicism of […]
Snake Bites
Dirty dishes in the sink, dirty laundry in the hamper, dirty floors throughout the house, and no shower yet. Perfect time to sit with the Lord and coffee. A Puerto Rican blend microwaved enough times to illuminate a cul-de-sac at midnight. But with thoughts that seemed darker, a heart that felt dirtier, and a soul […]
The ΓÇ£Color Me MineΓÇ¥ of God
“Mom, can you lean the car over so I can paint the wheels?” “Sure honey.” I carefully tipped the Nascar wannabe on its side and braced it for impact. A small, pudgy hand slammed the paint brush against the ceramic like a hammer in the hand of a mechanic. “Daddy will just love it! He […]