I stood in the dark auditorium, tears racing down my face, falling faster than I could wipe away. I was grateful the lights were low and hoping this wouldn't be one of those Sundays where we're told to greet the people next to us or grab a neighbor's hand as we prayed. Thankfully, the lights stayed low, the music carried on, and I sobbed in ...
I have a lot of plates. A LOT. Too many, really. When I got married 15 years ago, I registered for the same dishes my cousin had registered for the year before at her wedding. I didn't know it at the time and didn't do it on purpose -- but nobody was surprised when we realized it. See, I've been copying my cousins my entire life, and when faced ...
My friend -- and fellow (in)courage writer -- Sara Frankl passed away in 2011, but she is still teaching me about choosing joy. As I worked on the book that tells her story and shares her message of hope and joy, I was amazed and moved to read about the incredible strength Sara drew from her faith. That inner strength allowed her to withstand ...
I wonder if we'd be so gung-ho about New Year's resolutions if January didn't come so quickly after December. The holiday season, with all its fun and festivities and falalas, also gives us obligations, stress, and to-do lists (or credit card bills) a mile long. And after pushing ourselves to exhaustion or gorging ourselves on red and green ...
I didn't realize I couldn't see before I got glasses in the second grade. But I remember a night shortly after getting my super sturdy (and nerdy) frames with the thick bifocal lenses. I was riding in the car with my parents and as I looked out the window at the passing cars, I noticed their lights looked different. Before I had glasses, the lights ...
I read her text message and smiled. Sometimes you tell a friend about a struggle and that friend listens, offers some advice, maybe even prays for you, and then never mentions it again. Other friends do all that -- and then call a week later to see if you've made any progress. I'd told my friend about how overwhelmed I'm feeling in this ...
We'd been at a charity event downtown and had to park a block away. It didn't seem like such a bad idea when skies were clear. But as a huge storm blew in and hastened the end of our event, it was a regrettable choice we could see would bring very wet consequences. And "very wet" barely begins to describe it! The rain was insane! To say it was ...
A couple weeks ago the girls and I drove to church in a light rain. Mark was a few minutes behind us, driving separately so he could help with tear down after service (our church meets in a school). As we pulled into the parking lot, I hesitated. How was I going to get the three of us inside without getting soaked? Finally, I decided that a.) I ...
The call came early in the morning, waking us up in a skipped heartbeat. I called my own mom right away, telling her what she'd already heard in her own early-morning call. Refusing to accept what seemed so unfathomable, so incomprehensible, I asked if we needed to pack funeral clothes. Are you sure? I asked. She was sure. I don't remember ...
As I pulled into the parking space, I noticed my husband tilting his head toward the window. I knew what he was doing. He was looking at my parking job -- and judging it. Silently. So I asked him, "What are you looking at?" Smart man that he is, he said, "Nothing." We climbed out of the car, and I told him that I knew exactly what he was ...
