Faith, Family, and the beauty of Everyday Grace
welcome to the blog
You
We’re looking for love
We’re looking for connection
We’re looking for acceptance and approval
We’re looking to hang on
We never want to let go
The One
One life
One love
One raindrop
One city
One moment
One kiss
love through generations
You don't know what you don't know.
And I didn't know what I put her through.
My mom waited eleven hours to hear from me. Eleven hours that should've been six, while she was home in Illinois, and I was a high schooler on a January drive with friends, from there to Iowa, to visit my boyfriend's college.
Embracing Humanity: Lessons from Irish Encounters
We grasped hands and held tightly, probably longer than appropriate considering we were mere strangers at the start. But our short yet profound conversation bonded us in a serendipitous way.
"Mind yourself," he said, with a sudden solemnity before releasing his grip. "God bless you."
words that make a marriage
I hold my husband's hand and remember that our lives, and those of our kids and grandkids, began because of God’s love for humanity and, specifically, for the passion and adoration He’s given us for Him and for each other.
Strong marriages make strong families which, in turn, make strong societies.
What Good Is It?
Can I be honest?
I’ve been pretty discouraged lately.
Or, more specifically, discouraged with how technology has changed us.
Yesterday, I was in a waiting room and it hit me like it does every time—we don’t talk to each other anymore.
the heart remembers
Words don’t suffice.
There aren’t enough that can express.
A and E, let my heart talk to yours.
You are so adored by your hard-working and fun-loving parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles: Life will be a great adventure.
Dear Younger Me
May 14, 1985
Dad died in the hospital today. Why, why, why, why, why? Why wasn't I taken instead? Mom, Karen, and the boys could live fine without me. How will any of us survive without Dad?
June 9, 2023
Dear Younger Me,
These are such good questions.
all of God's grace in one tiny face
After I repeated the expression, you told me it brought you to tears.
“All of God’s grace in one tiny face.”
We'd talked on the phone for an hour that afternoon—me swatting bees on the deck of our rental house in Indiana and you back home in Illinois in your comfortable recliner, looking at birds out the window.
Marriage Looks Like This
Marriage looks like a desperately needed, intertwined nap on a lazy, rainy afternoon and later chopping vegetables, side by side, for a favorite Sunday soup recipe.
humble and kind
“I love you, Mom.”
“Hmmm?”
(A little louder) “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too ... so very much.”
I’d been deep in thought, listening to the song we were slowly dancing to.
may his face shine upon you
Numbers 6 : 24 - 26 ESV The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Dear moms and dads,
This blessing was first spoken from God to Moses. The Lord told Moses to tell his brother, the priest Aaron, and Aaron’s sons, to bless the people of Israel with the words above.
Choosing Joy During Uncertain Times
She gave me a wry grin and shook her head.
"Is that getting old?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, but then her laughter told me she (sorta) liked my little comedy routine.
Now that my daughter, husband, and most of us are doing school and work at home, I say, "Drive safe!" and "See you tonight!"
an ever-present help in times of trouble
My first overriding emotion was embarrassment.
When I heard one say to the other, “It was a domestic dispute,” I felt the blood rush to my face. The emotion immediately following was anger.
“No! You don’t understand. My dad has a brain tumor. He’d never hurt us or our mom!”
we've gotcha
The stout and stern, dark-haired judge scared the living heck out of us.
She fired one question after another, and the sweat beaded on Craig's head. The kind translator had warned us ahead of time not to look at herself but only at the judge when it was time for the translator to repeat the judge's questions, changing them from Russian to English.
"Why do you want to adopt this little girl?"
the essence of big love
The risk of loving big is that big goodbyes can wreck you.
If you've lived long enough, you've experienced it. The reverberating pain of saying goodbye to someone you love.
I've been to more funerals than I can count. My beloved father passed away when I was a teen and three more people I loved completely, my husband's mom, dad, and sister, Denise, all died within a handful of years from one another.
But these are not the kinds of letting go I'm referring to.
ineffable
When I heard his feet hit the floor and his bedroom door open, I knew I didn’t have time to move or hide. I was caught.
"Hey!" he said. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just looking for something I dropped earlier," I whispered (and lied).
build a bridge
Trying to wing the toast at my son’s wedding last May was a horrible idea.
Once I had the microphone and looked out at that lakefront ballroom full of cherished family and friends, I felt an uncomfortable lump forming in my throat. When I turned to address the bride and groom, the swelling moved up to my eyes and nose, releasing a fall of emotion that spilled over.
the true you
I sat poolside in this Mexican resort town and noticed a tingling clearness in my head and my breathing start to slow down and expand. It felt like a watch that had been ticking too fast, suddenly being reset to the correct tempo—an invisible rebooting of my soul.
I recently heard the soul described as the part of you that was there before you were born and the part of you that will live on after you die: The "true" you.
your people
She looked breathtaking in her wedding dress.
When her nine bridesmaids danced through the bedroom door to get a first glimpse, many of their eyes filled with tears. They were happy for her and overcome with joy to see their dear friend wearing the gown she'd soon be married in.
Hosting the entire wedding party for the three previous days was exhilarating. What I had anticipated to be an exhausting week turned out to be life-giving and energizing.