He Gives Us Turtles
My feet shifted against the sand as my eyes remained locked on the woman on the ground in front of me. Her right arm plunged back down into the open cavity, and she scooped one more fistful of sand up from its quiet home. The hole had grown quickly, now swallowing her...
What Will You Grab In a Fire?
What will you grab in a fire? Is it a picture? Stuffed animal? Medicine? Which heirlooms will you save from destruction? I've tumbled over this question through the years-the answers morphing with each candle on the birthday cake. 36 later, and now I know. Turns out...
This Piece of Land
We signed the papers in the corner booth of an empty McDonald's—squeezed tight on the bench like a couple of teenagers. This time those butterflies beat their wings for every dollar listed on our paperwork. Frigid air from the vent above commanded every cell on my...
Try to Be More Awkward
My church can be awkward, and it’s one of my favorite things about it. Most of us would shrink back in fear from that description. We’d love anything other than to have ourselves described as awkward, let alone find ourselves in a situation that feels uncomfortable...
A Tale of Two Books
Last year I resolved to write a novel for my children. For months, the characters had been living within my head. I’d lay in bed at night imagining what ten-year-old Kit looked like and what he was afraid of. While driving in the car, I’d bury myself deep in thought...
Add Another Piece
Sometimes the pressure for perfection presses in on my pursuits. Whether it's an article, a craft, or any other piece of labor-part of me thinks I need to have it all figured out now. Yet Francis Schaeffer's work in Art and the Bible helped me to switch my perspective...
Dancing in an Empty Theater
The dirt trail curved through the tall grass in front of us. My husband and three kids scampered ahead towards the entrance of the canopy of trees. As I padded behind them, my eyes caught a streak of red amidst the stalks of green off the trail. Poking up between the...
Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child?
Christmas music has been close at hand in our house these days. I've given my children no shortage of memories of their mother belting out Christmas songs in the kitchen. The other day, I listened to a modern Christmas song wax on about the beauty of seeing Christmas...
Turning on the Lights on Sin
Darkness enveloped the room as tears slid down my cheeks. I was no more than seven, though the decades since have fuzzied the edges of the memory. I do remember the fear that covered my body as I watched the shadows creep across my bedroom wall. The dark shape inched...
Why We Don’t Want a Modern Bible
We all want the Bible to reach the most people, right? We want its words to extend into the 21st century so people may see the light of God’s salvation and the glory of his character. But sometimes, in this effort to “meet people where they are” we can actually hinder...