Hiram woke to the sound of ripping fabric. He tasted blood and felt gravel digging into his cheek. He tried to open his eyes, but only one would yield. Through a single slit of vision, he saw an empty water pouch lying in the middle of the road, its torn edges curled as they baked in the sun. If he could just reach it, maybe there'd be one drop. But his limbs would not obey. Sandals shuffled around his head, and dust settled on his lips. Fabric ripped again. Cool liquid drenched his wounded … [Read more...]
The Far-Fetched Stories of Sacrificial Love
It’s hard to explain love to a preschooler. You’d be wasting your breath giving a definition like “warm personal attachment.” Instead, we read stories like The Runaway Bunny, in which a young bunny tries to run from his mamma, but she lovingly, and sometimes stealthily, finds him and brings him home. In addition to reading far-fetched stories, parents “explain” love by caring for the children, even when they don’t want us to. Even adults find it hard to understand God’s over-the-top, … [Read more...]
Book Recommendations for 2021
Depending on which source you consult, between 300,000 and 328,000 books are published in the U.S. every year. Worldwide, 2.2 million new titles roll off the presses annually. How do you decide what to read next? Years ago, I resolved to keep track of the books I read. Since then, Goodreads has come along and made keeping track a whole lot easier. (If you're on Goodreads, let's connect here!) If you need a few recommendations to begin your reading year with a bang, I've listed my … [Read more...]
A Monumental Christmas
A few years ago, I was driving around town doing the after-school shuffle. I dropped off my youngest at swim team and rushed to the middle school to pick up my middle son. One of his friends needed a ride, so I gladly ran him home. I planned to return library books and pick up a prescription before heading home for supper. I was zipping around town, feeling super productive and on top of my taxi-mom game. So, I was slightly annoyed when the large red pickup in front of me slowed to a … [Read more...]
The House a Dumpster Built & The Surprises Inside
Even in the daylight, it looked like a scary movie set. We stared through our minivan windows, waiting for Oliver to emerge from the scene. I double-checked the house number Oliver's mom had given me. My six-year-old son had invited two school friends to Wednesday night church. It felt like a throwback to the days of Sunday School busses. Since my grandpa had a CDL and the disposition of Andy Griffith, he was the driver. Since I was the oldest grandchild, I got to ride along. I remember … [Read more...]
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