It started in 2004. At some point between May and July of that year, my hearing in both ears deteriorated by 70 percent, and a constant ringing began. After seeking medical help, the doctor suggested surgery for partial hearing repair. The doctor would only repair one ear at a time, should the repair not work. […]
Category: Grief/Encouragement
Love in Action
Some people are not lovable. I know because I’m one of them. I am impatient, selfish, easily annoyed by interruptions, and cranky when plans change. It doesn’t help that I have severe ADHD, learning challenges, and don’t hear well. Truthfully, we all have differences . . . some lovely, some not so lovely. Part of being human and broken […]
Simple and Significant
Sometimes the simplest things in our lives are the most meaningful. I did a little project the other day that reminded me about the significance of life. I made a necklace for a friend . . . simple, elegant, and decorated with a few meaningful charms that represent some of her deepest values. To most, it looks like a […]
Hope in All Seasons
The holiday season is here again. During the holidays, people do a lot of wishing. But I’m not talking about wishing for gifts or toys. The kind of wishing I’m speaking of refers to deeper longings for something different, something better. Often, we long for relief from painful circumstances, restoration of broken relationships, the ability […]
Earthly
The other day, as my son, Jon, and I drove home from school, I could tell something earthly had happened. Earthly refers to those daily situations that occur as a result of living in a broken world with broken people. I could tell that some earthly event had broken Jon’s heart. Big tears welled up […]
The Invisible Troublemaker
When I think of troublemakers, I think of bullies at school, convicted criminals, and angry neighbors. You could probably list a few as well. But have you ever considered your own mind as a dreadfully difficult troublemaker? Your mind can be filled with greed, selfish motivations, manipulation, anxiety, fear, and resentment—often far more troubling than […]
Joy Beads
Bad weather and cooped up kids can be problematic—energy to burn and nowhere to go. Such was the case one very stormy season when my kids were little. We were hit with a record number of storms . . . one after another for weeks. As the days passed, we all became a bit cranky. […]
The Balance of Laughter and Tears
When I meet wise people, I want the world to know them. I recently met Cindi, who has grown wise through the trials of life. She and her husband, Joe, have a son with disabilities, so they will never enjoy many of the freedoms most people expect in life. But because they have faithfully followed […]
It Came to Pass
Check out these inspirational facts from the Web site Find Your Wings! Admiral Robert Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before he made it. . . . In its first 28 attempts to send rockets into space, NASA had 20 failures. As a young man, Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas […]
Life Extraordinary
Nothing extraordinary happened this weekend. We did the average stuff . . . mowed the lawn, bought some groceries, cleaned the house, cooked the meals . . . pretty ordinary stuff. Now, had we gone to the annual fall festival or celebrated a birthday or churned homemade ice cream and watched fireworks, I would have […]
Stories
Below is an excerpt from a note I received from my friend Annette Monts Falls. She gave me permission to share it with you. On Sunday, May 19, 1985, in Boulder, Colorado, God orchestrated events to save my own life through the cessation of fetal movement of my third son named Clayton Alexander Falls. This […]
Act Medium
The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Because a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three: Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium. Not bad theology! In different words, […]