-
Oh my Soul, It is Well!
It is well, it is well, with my soul. The story of this hymn is one of heartbreak, deep grief, and great loss. Mr. Spafford wrote these words while grieving the loss of four his daughters in a shipwreck. “Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is Well!” I’ve never known life outside of living with chronic illness, just a fact. Diagnosed at four months, but I am sure my parents would agree asthma and reflux were with me from the start! Another fact is that the words “heal” and “cure” have always been words I associate with Heaven, not earth. It is just one of the…
-
To You with Empty Arms
You will never look back on life and think, “I spent too much time with my kids.” Unknown Before you begin reading today, I would just ask you to study the above picture. It’s the good ole’ 80’s florals and fringe on the umbrella. Most likely a new little red wagon. I say new because we had that wagon up until last year! (a good 40 years!) My parents have an inflatable pool and shovels ready, and it also looks like they have the bag packed for the day. My brother on the other hand doesn’t seemed to convinced on this sand and sun thing. However, if you know my…
-
To YOU…
No one fights harder or loves harder than a pair of sibs. bestoflife.com As I think about the school year coming to a close for many children, I have been reflecting on a few thoughts. First, what my “end of school” years were like. The picture and quote today pretty much sums this one up well. Summers were filled with family, the lake, the beach, very rarely much else. It was a time for a big deep breath, at least for a month or two. Second, I have been thinking about all the students, parents, teachers, and all those in between, who don’t really ever get “off.” Today, I would…
-
Come Unto Me and Rest
I missed writing last week, but I’m back and have a story to share. If you are familiar with anxiety and/or panic attacks, then you will most likely be all too familiar with the story I am about to tell. If you are not, either personally or have witnessed someone close to you, then let this be a learning post. Let me set the scene: I am sitting at a restaurant with my family, which rarely happens these days due to getting used to take out. I am overjoyed that my mom, dad, brother, sister in law, niece and nephew are all at one table and sharing a meal. It’s…
-
High Five for the Mundane!
Give people high fives for getting out of bed. Being a person is hard sometimes. Kid President Getting out of bed. Being human. For some people that’s it. They have no second thought, no hesitation, no shaking. They are up and going with seemingly no effort. For some, getting out of bed and facing being a human, in a human body, in a human world, takes great effort. There are lots of reasons and circumstances – health, relationships, home environment, financial, loss, etc. I tend to have more days that require great effort. It’s how I am wired, woven together, and it’s my story. Health, loss, and life events have…
-
Life Markers
“You normally have to be bashed about a bit by life to see the point of daffodils, sunsets and uneventful nice days.” Alain de Botton Oh how I love this quote I discovered recently! Not until life is interrupted do we slow down to appreciate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air… I have mentioned in previous posts that by nature I am an avid documenter, on the edge of being an information hoarder! 😂 Truly! I love to keep articles on news, places I’d like to visit or places I have gone and want to go back to- it’s a issue I am learning to…
-
Broken Pieces
Let’s start today’s post with some lyrics: " Look at all the broken pieces all around me places deep inside my soul I don't know what's real, can't help the way I'm feeling All I know is I'm alone. I need a rescue, I need a reckoning From all the things I've done and have been don't to me I need a revival, I need recovery I need to know that there's an answer for what's missing cause something's missing Turn up all the music, something to amuse me silence is a lonely friend if you really knew me, could you really love me save me from this loneliness It…
-
Miss Anna…
“The soul is healed by being with children.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky The above quote could very easily be my life “phrase.” Whether it’s been a good day, hard day, sick day, tiring day… bring a child into the picture and my whole world is made brand new! I have been having these days that feel like whirlwinds – you know those days that you wake up thinking, maybe just maybe I can get these few things done today, but as soon as your feet hit the ground, its like a tidal wave hits you, and everything you thought could happen is now swept out to sea, and you are flipping…
-
Highs, Lows, and the Somewhere In Between
“‘Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.’ Sincerely, Pete, Age 9” (Dear Pastor, by Bill Adler) I love kids! They get to the point, say what they mean, and ask questions. They have a limited knowledge, the things they do know all depends on who is active in their lives, and what is allowed/accepted by those in their lives. As infants they come to us as fragile delicacies to care for, to help mold, and to train and build up into children, teens, young adults. So that they may thrive as adults. The letter to this…
-
Wacky and Wild Mail
13 ounces or less. The wonderfully wacky things you can mail! Last week I wrote about my love of good ole fashion snail mail, and included that I would write about when I did a “out of the box” mail camp with my niece. Well, I can usually pat myself on the back for documenting things with photos. However, I remember sweating and being stared down by a postal worker while I attempted this fun adventure with my then four year old niece, who by the way was and is an excellent child! I believe the worker was perturbed that my mom and I would engage in such silly business.…
