Gaining a heart of wisdom
This month, we said goodbye to my husband's brother. He had been living in a nursing home for six years as the effects of Parkinson's disease1 relentlessly diminished his ability to move, to care for himself, and even to speak. We were thankful for his peaceful acceptance of his distressing circumstances, but it was heartbreaking… Continue reading A Full and Busy Life Equals a Normal Life
Over the years, I've had an uneasy relationship with exercise and fitness. Uncoordinated and awkward in high school, I was a varsity-level creator of legitimate reasons to be excused from gym class. In college, to fulfill the mandatory two physical education credits, I took First Aid and Intro to Golf, both guaranteed to keep me… Continue reading Are You Exercising For All The Right Reasons?
September is my birthday month, and I plan to celebrate! The coming of birthdays really didn't trouble me at all until I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years ago. Now it feels as if PD has its thumb on the scale, hastening the aging process and slowing me down in ways I haven't authorized.… Continue reading Wisdom for Flourishing in the Third Third of Your Life
The sun shone warm on my back, and my youngest granddaughter's eyes were nearly closed as I gently pushed the swing. Playground mayhem surrounded us, but we were wrapped in the quiet of a sunny summer afternoon. The grandmotherly privilege of one-on-one time with a toddler requires an intense commitment to being present in the… Continue reading Walking and Waiting in the Way of Wisdom
A pair of seven-pound weights is part of my everyday exercise routine. I realize that's not a very impressive-sounding load, but I definitely notice the difference between them and my very cute pink five-pounders. I also notice (with some alarm) the difference between my weights and the growing heft of the two granddaughters who most… Continue reading A Look at My Not Very Impressive Training Regimen
Whatever your age or stage of life, if you've made it this far without experiencing sorrow or pain, CONGRATULATIONS, you are a rare and wonderful creature! But don't get too comfortable there, because trouble is a certainty. Jesus declared that it's a sure thing, but not a hopeless thing, for he also said that he… Continue reading God Has a Powerful Purpose for Your Pain
The calendar and the brisk morning air have agreed that summer is over and autumn has arrived. It was time for me to get on the same page and decorate for fall. Understand that this is not a huge production here in this minimalist's life, but I do like a few sunflowers, a few pumpkins,… Continue reading Overcome Frustration with Gratitude and Action
I've been writing obliquely about my Parkinson's disease diagnosis for the past year or more, but today the story takes center stage in an interview with Lois Flowers. She asks probing questions that tease out the details of my story, but more than that—it's a conversation about what C.S. Lewis would have called The Problem… Continue reading Discovering the Love of God on the Pathway of Adversity
The baby wakes up an hour early—the hour you had planned for quiet study and prayer.The teen driver totals your car on her way to a ballgame.The job interview seems to go so well that you let yourself hope, but the postion goes to another candidate. In ways that are both trivial and seismic, life… Continue reading How Can I Love My Given Life When It’s Not What I Had Planned?
"One year ago today... Look back at September 17, 2022." My phone flashed a cheerful message as it does almost every day, inviting me to view photos from a year (or more!) ago. It's an invitation I usually ignore but for some reason, on September 17th I accepted. My reward was a video of wind-driven… Continue reading Harvest the Goodness of Every Single Day by Remembering
Living Our Days 