Parenting
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Snow Day—Play Day!
Disclaimer: After writing this post, I hesitated to publish it due to the enormous amount of suffering around our nation and the world. I questioned the wisdom of focusing on play when folks struggle to find food or shelter, when illness abounds, and for some, instead of playsets, war is in their backyards. Yet, our bodies and minds crave a break from sorrow. Like a salve on a wound, even a small interruption of a smile or laughter soothes the soul and brings strength to the suffering. If your pain is too great to read it, try this blog instead. If you read on, I hope this post stirs up…
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Passing the Baton
It was the 1950’s. The sport: Track and Field. The event: Men’s Relay. At the last minute, the team was short one man, as the story goes. After already running one leg, our dad dashed across the field and was allowed (don’t ask me why) to run a second. One race, two opportunities to pass the baton. That season secured a place for the team in the school’s hall of fame. That race put our dad there. I never heard this story from his lips. Our mom shared it. His schoolmates told us more about it at the Hall of Fame ceremony. You see, our dad’s life-race was cut short.…
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A Psalm 136 Christmas Letter
Last week I started a Christmas letter. Determined to NOT skip another year, I hastily (because I’m busy) and concisely (because I dislike long epistles) shared the “highlights” of the year. Why? Good question. It stems from the days prior to Facebook and Instagram to keep everyone up to date on our lives. In the “old” days, Christmas letters let far-away relatives know what we’d been doing – vacations, moves, etc. We’d share glowing reports of our kids’ activities – soccer, band, lessons, scouts, dance, you name it. In keeping with tradition, I replayed that old record. Then I hit delete. Something didn’t set well. Something wasn’t right. Oh, everything…
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Parallel Parking and God – A Lesson in Listening
My last child, #4, takes her driving test very soon. She is just about ready, but has needed to work on her parking skills before the big behind-the-wheel exam. I have attempted to show her various maneuvers in a parking lot, but knew I had to pass her off to her dad to cover the intricacies of parallel parking. You see, her dad, who is a car-loving “gear-head” if there ever was one, can park a car inside our garage within inches of the walls and corners! A few days ago they set out to practice on the road, but before they did, my husband attempted to show our daughter…
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Hold On Tight
Last month I touched on the subject of “letting go” -releasing all that we have no control over. Letting go of past events, situations, or worries. Letting go of guilt from sins that Jesus took care of 2000 years ago. Since then, I’ve been pondering the opposite view, because I realize that although there is much we need to let go of and release, there are also some things that are worth fighting for, worth hanging on to – as if life depended on it. What are those things deemed worthy of time, energy, and effort? Here’s a starter-list to get us thinking. 1. My marriage. I started with this…
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Cyber Time vs. Family Time: Taking Technology to Task
“My kids and grand-kids will be coming for Christmas but we don’t talk anymore. Most of the time I’m competing with cell phones and hand-held games!” shared a friend recently. I looked at the group of women around me and saw nods of affirmation and understanding. My mind flashed back to this past Thanksgiving. Yep. It was the same at our gathering. We did some talking, lots of eating, but more often than I liked, I witnessed heads bowed – no, not in prayer – but in rapt attention to Facebook, Solitaire, and countless internet-accessible games. I’m not going to attempt to address the whys and how’s of this…
