You wake up with a kink in your neck and a pain down your back. As you shut off the alarm your mind startles awake, wondering if it’s Sunday, then settles because it’s not. But, it doesn’t take long for it to turn to Ecclesiastes (out of habit these past months), until you remember it’s... Continue Reading →
Having Fresh Eyes for Those Who Walk Through Our Church Doors
She whipped the car into the church parking lot, pulling the keys out of the ignition and shoving them into her purse. Being late was nothing new to us, but it usually came with some embarrassment. This time, however, being late was a relief. We hoped to slip in without having to talk with people... Continue Reading →
Shock and Awe
You’re not one to pick up on a turn of phrase or value strategically placed words. You barely slow down to read these posts, smile and say, “Thank you, Mommy!” I suppose I write them, then, to show you someday, maybe when time and age have caught up with you, that behind these little words... Continue Reading →
I Do
“Let’s say our vows to each other again today at the wedding.” You looked at me with that familiar, comfortable love which still makes sparks fly, no matter what nays others say. I agreed. So we did. Right there in our pew, in silent meditation, along with Aaron and Cassidy, our arms entwined and our... Continue Reading →
It Takes a Church, a Family, and a School
The African proverb, "It takes a village," succinctly describes our interdependence as humans on one another to make it through life. My guest poster today, highlights that truth as she thanks various people for the important roles they played in her life, particularly during a stretching first year of Jr. High in the Accelerated Learning Academy... Continue Reading →
Sharing Arms: A Mother’s Day Thank You
I sent a text last Mother’s Day that read, “Thank you for sharing arms with me.” I included a picture of me holding Eloise. It was to her birth mom. The woman who held Eloise close in her womb for 9 months and was the first to draw her near in her arms. The woman... Continue Reading →
Very Good
The baby boy that was all chubby cheeks and belly laughs and ear infections and mischief turns 8 years old today. How those 7 pounds turned into almost 70, that wavy tawny hair turned into a pompadour, and those subtle coos turned into non-stop talking is a mother’s grief and delight. Your dad and I... Continue Reading →
Bold City Weakness
Four years ago today we caravanned into Jacksonville, arriving just in time to close on our new house - a house we'd seen one time for about ten minutes a few months earlier. Having just said heart-wrenching good byes to our church, friends, and family up north and to all that was familiar, we pulled... Continue Reading →
Outshining the Sun
The Bible says to look at the sky to know God’s there. The sun that brightly runs its course, never late, spanning the globe. The moon and star-flung galaxies, stretching the expanse above, showing his glory and greatness. And I look, captivated by wonder, and find comfort that he’s holding it all together. But I... Continue Reading →
You Can’t Whip God
This past Saturday, my grandpa would’ve turned 81. He’s been gone for almost nine years now, but he still has a message that needs to be heard. Jerry Neuhart was born in 1937 to Hilda and Frank, in the beautiful rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio. He grew up in the small town of Senecaville and... Continue Reading →
Beginning, Again
It wasn’t our first drive to the hospital. We’d done it more than a few times to labor and deliver babies. But this time was different. The one thing that always seems to stay the same is that things never go like we think they will. And we can cynically give up our expectations or... Continue Reading →
Dying to Exercise {and a GIVEAWAY!}
No one wants to start off the new year with a serious diagnosis. But in January of 2009, there we sat in the family waiting area of the hospital surrounding my wheelchair-bound grandpa. Because of a new series of treatments, he was lucid and we all talked and laughed like we may never do it... Continue Reading →