“I have one question for you,” she said, leaning on the kitchen counter. Dirty dishes in hand, I stopped loading the dishwasher and looked at my friend. “Have you said goodbye?” Her words were gentle yet pulsed with concern. My eyes closed to hold the tears at bay; I bit my lip to quell its quiver. My sister’s death was eighteen months ...
My husband recently had an appointment at the VA medical center that is a few hours from our home. Most people like us have to travel some distance to get to a VA hospital. It takes planning to make sure you make your appointments. You have to take into consideration the time of day, if it will be rush hour, the road conditions, the weather, not to ...
I wandered through my church lobby on a quest for another cup of morning coffee. It always helps when I have a mission, so I walk with purpose. It doesn’t allow me to feel so alone in the crowd. It’s not like me, this feeling of isolation. Emotionally and socially, I’ve been an island, with occasional jaunts over to the mainland. I pour my ...
I stood at a podium, looking out on an audience of Christian writers and bloggers. While speaking, I could see such eagerness in the women -- wide eyes, pens poised, leaning forward. My view of the audience left me on the verge of tears. Why? Because I had been in their seats before. What, they wondered, was the secret to getting a book ...
When my husband and I started dating in college, the internet had not yet been invented. Just imagine a world in which during summers and school breaks, our communication was relegated to the occasional phone call and lots and lots of letters. I love today’s world of instant communication, but in many ways, I miss those letter-writing days. The ...
You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you. Isaiah 26:3 (CSB) Peace Over Productivity by Becky Keife Have you ever seen a hummingbird at rest? Even when she hovers over a flower, dipping her slender beak deep into the blossom for a nectar drink, even then her wings beat infinitely faster than ...
I’m sitting on the couch, laptop in front of me, typing so fast it sounds like a machine gun when my husband wanders into the room. He says something to me and I reply with a vague “Hmm,” which is my way of signaling, “I’m busy and being productive. Please come back later.” But he persists in his efforts to communicate with me, and I, such a kind ...
We don’t get to see worms too often in our front yard. For a while, Southern California was in a drought, and rain was a luxury we didn’t have. But this winter was generous beyond our expectations and sated the ground of its thirst, bringing with it the worms we don’t often get to see. My son found one one afternoon while playing on the grass. ...
I caught my heart heading to a pit of discouragement for spring break. Although it was supposed to go to the beach with my family and me, it was not cooperating. We had been hit by one emotional and financial crisis after another. Early in the week, a close friend found out she had a large tumor, likely ovarian cancer. The day after that, our ...
It wasn’t the worst place for a baby to sleep, but I didn’t like the thought of putting a baby in a laundry basket. For a newborn, it would be safe and portable, but I felt ashamed. Our second son was born ten weeks premature. A job change, a move, and his premature birth had drained our bank account. Our first son, just fourteen months old at ...
