So, I had this neighbor girl when I was younger. I can't really disclose her real name here because I don't exactly have her permission to post obnoxious stories about her on the internet. So, I'm just going to make up a different name for her for now. We'll call her Marti Ganetti. Now, Marti Ganetti used to come over fairly often to play. And on one of those occasions, I informed her rather mournfully that one of my cats had run away. And Marti, being the generous soul that she was, took it upon herself to track down my beloved pet for me. A week or so went by until one afternoon I was standing out in my front yard when here Marti came, galavanting along, with this cat hoisted upon her hip."Maggie! I found it! I found your cat!", she exclaimed, rather triumphantly. I glanced over at the f[...]

Today I walked out in the yard in the rain just to feel alive. Sometimes I do that. Stop everything I'm doing for a few moments just to be. It does occur to me every once in a while that I've been given this gift of life and that God wants me to enjoy it. Seriously enjoy it. And I don't know why, but I've felt bad about enjoying life. For one thing, there's terrible things happening to people on the earth and it does seem strange to me that I'm sitting in my quiet, peaceful yard, admiring a sunflower. I confess, I have trouble knowing what to make of that.But, I know God made me and He made this sunflower and He gave me this yard and this beautiful life, and so I thank Him. And when I don't know what else to do, I thank Him for what's right in front of me. And I tell God, sometimes I just [...]

I'm a Jesus follower. Meaning, I believe Jesus is the only way to God, like He says He is. I believe Him to be the Savior. I'm not a perfect Jesus follower. I'm not even a very good one. Not by a long shot. For one thing, Jesus says to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. I don't do that. I love myself way too much. But, I figure if Jesus is really God, and if His aim is to make me more like Himself, then He will use all the stuff in my life to do that. To make me more like Him. To help me love in ways that don't make sense apart from His help. You don't have to convince me that I need a complete overhaul of my heart in order to do that. Because I wake up every day pretty keenly aware that I don't have that kind of sacrificial love on my own. I need Him. Like, every hour I n[...]

Little heart, didn't you know? You were made to be brave. You were fashioned to fling off the fear and shed the doubt and catapult over all the angst. But you must keep your eyes on the Valiant One. Yes, all eyes to the King! Him who makes the fraidy-cats into lion-hearts. And little countenance, didn't you know you were made to shine? You are here to be light, to bring out the vibrant colors in the shadow lands. But, you must turn your face to the Brilliance. Him all ablaze and robed in light. He who splits the dark and swallows up the night. On Him keep your gaze. Bask in the sunlight of His face and so shine.  "The Eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deut. 33:27)"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen yo[...]

This morning, I sat on the couch while the kids played and cried just a little bit. I cried because I could feel the season change, the way everything turns, and I realized how much I loved the day long and the light warm and the grass and trees all green and growing. Summer is still here, kinda, because it's feeling chilly already, but I was missing it before it even left, and I wasn't ready for this change. I wanted to squeeze out some more barefoot, lightening bug catching, cicada singing, sand in our hair moments. So, the kids and I loaded up and we headed for the nearest beach. Like I said, it was a bit chilly--I probably should have packed some sweatshirts, but we found a patch of sunlight and played in the warm spots. Thankfully, the water was still warm and the minnows were te[...]

Sometimes it takes these quiet moments of them falling fast asleep before it occurs to me, and I have to catch my breath, just how head-over-heels madly in love I am with them. These children of mine--God's little masterpieces. Growing so big already and I've only had them for a little while. When I was three and a half, I don't know where I was. At times I was with relatives and sometimes living with complete strangers because my mom would walk into a house and drop me off. Often I was in and out of foster homes, always at the mercy of whatever grown-ups my birth parents or the social workers left me with. So, I gaze at him and marvel how I ever got to grow up and have him at all. When Gideon was just a baby, I remember how I couldn't stop staring at him. Couldn't believe how beautiful he[...]

Gideon sits at the table, poking at his lunch, and he’s got this curious look on his face. “Mommy, are there trains in heaven?” Every day, it’s a new question. Actually, every day it’s a bazillion new questions, but this day, he wants to know about heaven. “Um, I’m not sure,” I reply, and I can see his disappointment welling, “but I know there will be lots of surprises there for us.” His eyes light up. Now his face is glowing with that child-like wonder. “What kinds of surprises?”  He’s sitting on the edge of his seat. What little interest he had in his lunch is long gone. I think for a moment, “You just have to wait!” I smile and scoop him another bite.  But, he can’twait! He’s three and a half! What three year old can wait for their surprise? My goodness, I have a hard enough t[...]

Here lately, I've been drawing close to God. The One who made me, whose hands fashioned me, knit me together when I was in my mama's tummy. (Psalm 139.) Because God, He says that if we draw close to Him, then He'll draw close to us. And I want to be beside Him, because He's kind.He's not a sky God. You know, the kind who sits on a cloud and yells from the sky every time you do something wrong? And threatens lightning bolts if you don't straighten up?  No, He's not that way. He's the kind that sits down, though He has important things to do, and lets the little kids crawl up on His knee and puts His hand gentle on their head and looks deep into their eyes and He blesses them. (Matthew 19.) And who doesn't want to be next to a God like that?So, this week I've been taking a break from my[...]

There are lots of ways to enjoy your life this summer. And one way, one big way, is to go for a walk in a field of corn.So, next time you see a corn field, don't just pass it up. Go for a walk in it. I mean it. Don't let your whole summer (or your whole life for that matter), go by without traipsing through a corn field. Corn fields can be very adventurous.Now, you might be tempted to run through a corn field. Don't do that. Running through a corn field is dangerous. You could get cut. By corn leaves. And getting cut by a corn leaf is so much worse than a paper cut. Because a corn leaf cut is pretty big. And you could lose an eye. So don't run. Just walk. Though, you can walk briskly if you want. Long as you keep your arms out.  And if you go for a walk in a corn field, stay close to [...]