Gaining a heart of wisdom
In a year that has seen at least 23 school shootings, parental grief lies very near the surface of our society. At the same distressing time, a stunning 1 in 4 women has had an abortion by age 45, creating a quieter, but even greater undercurrent of grief — one mostly unshared and unacknowledged. Then there are… Continue reading Celebrating Christmas in a Season of Loss
C.S. Lewis described the human condition as a process of always becoming more of what we already are. These are cautionary words for me at this point in middle age, particularly as I consider the possibilities. In Lewis's The Great Divorce, the Teacher speaks regretfully of a seemingly harmless woman who has come to the end of… Continue reading Half Way to Entirely
Some stories leave a reader short of breath, muscles stiffened, dreading to turn the page because of the unavoidable outcome of the narrative arc. Katherine Clark's story began on a routine Friday, volunteering at her son's school. However, when she rounded the playground equipment in a schoolyard game of tag, one of the children bounded… Continue reading Where Tragedy Intersects with Truth
A few verses in Matthew are all that are granted to the tragedy of slain baby boys following the birth of Jesus. Christian Churches in the west have memorialized Herod’s paranoid panic as Holy Innocents’ Day, celebrated historically on December 28th, the fourth day of Christmas. In Medieval England, children were awakened to the solemnity… Continue reading Toward a Sensitive Observance of Holy Innocents Day 2017
I've spent the past week reconnecting with my sister. She lives in Alaska. I live in Maine. She has one grown daughter, while I've spent the past 23 years living in a boys' dormitory. She has lovely nails and her wardrobe demonstrates an awareness of the comings and goings of style. My hands and my… Continue reading Stepping onto the Common Ground — Jayber Crow Discussion Group (5)
We sat on the couch, side by side, but miles apart. She had just lost her son in a tragic accident. I had four living and healthy boys -- and no words that could touch her loss. In the weeks and months that followed, I wrote notes, shared Scripture verses, listened to her sadness, and… Continue reading If You REALLY Want to Help those Who Grieve
For ten lovely years we were six. I loved being six. In fact, I loved it so much that my email address incorporates our last name and the number six. However, numbers change as children grow up and take flight. After our oldest son married, we were mostly five, but sometimes seven; and when son… Continue reading Living Fully with a Broken Heart
On New Year's Eve 2015, our family had gathered with friends for our traditional celebration, but I had decided to shake things up a tiny bit. Yes, we would eat goodies and play games and laugh at our crazy kids as usual, but I had found a list of thoughtful questions for us to ponder.… Continue reading Beyond the Happy Hallelujah
Unbelieving, I held the phone to my ear. Joanne? Sick? We had always talked by phone every few weeks, but wait . . . how long had it been? And now a call from her husband with tears in his voice. I could feel the conversation moving in a direction that I could not absorb:… Continue reading Sisterhood is Eternal
A journey through cancer and a journey of joy would seem to be two very divergent paths -- particularly if the cancer is terminal and if it hits in the midst of a season of health and productivity. However, Steve and Sharol Hayner have invited readers into their experience of Joy in the Journey --… Continue reading Finding Abundance in the Shadow of Death
