Freedom Thoughts

Today began before the sun fully came up, with loud noises and flashing lights. An ambulance at a neighbor’s house immediately had me praying, and also immediately transported me to the night my Dad died and how the world looked as I arrived at my parents’ house. Red flashes. Red is the color of stop.…

Counting Every Blessing

Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know or we don’t know what we’ve been missing, until we experience a thing and realize that’s what we’ve needed. For the first time in over a year, I went to church to worship in person this morning. I’ve been watching the service online each week and that’s…

Dads and Dogs and Peace

At least a thousand times in years 1-21, I heard my Dad say If you hang around with dogs, you’ll start barking like a dog. Even now at 46 years of age it sort of makes me want to roll my eyes. I hadn’t thought about that line in years until I recently heard this…

Cloud-Clearing

A handful of realizations, some new and some just reminders, changed how the world looked on this cloudy day. This morning I listened as a third-grade teacher made Audrey feel incredibly special in a one-on-one call, scheduled on her own time just to encourage Audrey in her reading and acknowledge her hard work and progress.…

Closet Space

One of the best experiences in the days when your house becomes just yours is that moment when you realize that the closet belongs wholly to you. No sharing. No things hanging haphazardly and with no real organization. Tie racks become scarf organizers. Purses and shoes reside just above their corresponding clothes. The closet is…

It Is Well

The Emergency Broadcasting System alarm message is the absolute last thing you want to hear when you’re on a long drive with two children, and one of them has just asked to stop somewhere because she has to go to the bathroom. Tornado warning. Tornado immediately takes my mind down a path of images of…