The other day, we visited this children's museum. As we made our way inside, I watched my kids run enthusiastically down that carpeted ramp, pointing excitedly at this and that, and I cried. I cried because I got to be witness to this--my boy beside himself with glee over the Transformers exhibit and the dinosaur sculptures and I got to see the world again through my little girl's eyes, all full or curiosity and wonder. I cried because so many of the world's children have never been to a dinosaur museum just for the fun of it. Some of them are scraping the parched earth, looking for food and they can't find any. And some of the children in the world don't have a momma or a daddy to take care of them and here we were, all together enjoying life and we'd go out to eat at restaurant[...]

I sat in this quiet cafe' over a grilled  ham and cheese while my friend told me her story. How all her growing up years, she knew God was real but she just couldn't get why He was so intangible. Because, she just wanted to feel Him. To reach out and take a hold of Him somehow. But, she never could. And as I looked in her eyes, I could feel her ache. I had wondered it too, remembering how I'd laid in my bed on quiet nights, tears streaming with the deepest pain in my chest. And on those nights, I'd reached up, arms open wide, just wanting God to embrace me. Aching to be held. So many times, I'd wished I could crawl up in His lap, closing that cosmic gap between us. It had sent my heart pounding for heaven, in the wildest way.And as she poured out bits and pieces of her soul, I sat the[...]

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[...]