Maddy loves to retrieve her tail. Yes, you read that correctly: she’s our (dingy, Ritalin-needing) labrador retriever. And one of her favorite objects to retrieve is her own tail. It drives Craig crazy (she doesn’t appear terribly intelligent while doing it, I must admit, though none of us who know Maddy would ever consider her highly intelligent anyway) but I find it …
My Testimony
A Christian’s testimony should be a fluid thing: If I’m truly growing and stretching and sometimes aching (resisting? resenting? admittedly rebelling sometimes too?) in the process, then my testimony should mirror the same struggle. Before Robb died, I would have shared that I was excited to be in a new place of ministry, and I was being challenged to grow into …
On TBDBITL, I-Dotters, and My Favorite Trombone Player Ever
When I was young, I loved spring and hated autumn. My opinion was that the fall was all about death–the death of green leaves (actually, pretty much anything green, including cars which are soon covered by a layer of grey grit); the death of flowers and blooming bushes; the death of nice weather; the death of daylight (well, I do exaggerate a bit, but it …
The Curiosity
I just finished this interesting book–one which captured my attention from the first page, and held it until the end. When I don’t get distracted by the author’s “voice,” noticing how he or she is attempting to manipulate me through story and emotional charting, then I have to admire the author’s skill. Stephen Kiernan has written a great story, and …
Thumbs Up and Down on recent reads…
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – Being made into a movie, so I really wanted to read this novel first. It’s pretty creative in its futuristic world, one where children are monitored to find “the one” who can defeat the aliens who’ve invaded earth in the past. Simulated games reveal physical skill, wisdom, ability to cast vision and lead. Ender …
God’s Love Is Not an Apple Pie
Before my second child was born, I wondered about the amount of love I had to give this new little one. Would I need to somehow reserve a portion of love I’d give to Robb, thereby enabling me to have some to give his new little brother or sister? If I only had so much love to give and I had to allot some …
Listen for the Sound of Silence
Recently Craig and I were in what we consider our heaven on earth – the mountains of Colorado. We spent a month there, packing in playing with grandchildren (oh, did we have a blast), quality time with our son and daughter-in-law, a rowing lesson, delicious meals (I gained weight; Craig lost…aurghh!), and numerous bikes and hikes. We did some favorite …
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Do you love historical fiction like I do? Great novels like The Gods of Gotham weave historical facts into story like an artisan weaves contrasting color into cloth. Ms. Faye unfolds the fascinating beginnings of the NYC police force and the immigration of the Irish (due to the potato famine in Ireland) around the story of Timothy, one of the very first “copper stars” …
M&M&M’s
Craig and I recently entered another life stage: Transition. I don’t like it. I don’t do it well. But…such it is. So after arguing with God a bit (well, maybe more than a little, and God knows I’m not quite done yet), he and I came up with some challenges for me to work on. During these months ahead, I’m asking him …
A Divine Appointment
I bet you’ve had one–even if you didn’t recognize it at the time. But you were in the right place…at the right time…to make a significant impact on someone’s life. It happened to Craig and me, of all places, on a shuttle to the airport. The driver, a middle-aged African-American male, immediately struck up a friendly conversation with us the moment we began loading our …