All of us, so simple…
We eat, we sleep, we live.
We work to live, and work takes our life.
We breathe, we bleed, we try.
All of us hurting…
We feel, we hurt, we hide.
We hide the pain and the pain hides us.
We fake, we ache, we wonder why.
Serving vs. Selling
So many thoughts rummaging around in my head these days, but one that has emerged in some state of cohesiveness to ponder with you all is about marketing. And yet it also isn’t.
Let me explain. I was reading a fantastic article about marketing by author and writing coach K.M. Weiland recently. (Or, more accurately, I was listening to its podcast while I picked raspberries.) Considering I’ve been there and back again with agents and editors, having come so close Continue reading “Serving vs. Selling”
One More Day – A Poem
“Heart, where are you?” I said.
But my voice came back hollow.
“Surely you’re not dead…
Don’t go where I can’t follow.
“Dawn can’t stay always away,
So turn your face to the sky.
Hope can’t stay forever at bay,
Awake; lift your head high.”
Only silence from the depth,
Just as still as before.
But this was life or death,
So I tried once more.
There’s Still More (There’s More series, pt. 8)
When I stood on the safe side of a recent decision, it looked daring; on the other side—the 20/20 side—it looked crazy.
This whole series has been about knowing there’s more than what I (or we) typically experience and/or understand about God, His love, and our relationship. I know there’s so much more to the Christian life, a richness of love and intimacy and adventure and meaning and, well, even craziness that most of us do not typically touch on any given day. Life gets so hum-drum and we get so short-sided, when, all along, there is a current of deeper importance running parallel to this thing we call “living life.” Only every now and then do we glance over at it, dip our toes in, or take pictures of it. But I know God meant this Christian life for so much more. Continue reading “There’s Still More (There’s More series, pt. 8)”
Spiraling Down, Inching Closer (There’s More series, pt. 6)
It was as if an old version of me stood before the current me, whispering a lesson I’d forgotten.
I was kneeling next to my bookcase, an old Bible study guide in my lap. Moments before, out of nowhere, I’d gotten the overwhelming urge to clear through my bookcase. I’d pulled all the donatable books two weeks ago, but today, I’d decided that wasn’t enough; I had to get rid of some others. They wouldn’t be donated, just put out of sight.
Even though I was being rather fast and furious in my “everything, be gone” spree, there was one book I had the urge to flip through. I’d been doing shockingly well not flipping (as book lovers are often wont to do), but I couldn’t resist this urge as I held the old Bible study guide, even though it evoked bittersweet feelings. Continue reading “Spiraling Down, Inching Closer (There’s More series, pt. 6)”
Strength and Weakness (There’s More series, pt. 3)
God’s love and human ability. They don’t seem linked, do they? When I used to feel frustration at my inability to perceive God’s love, never did my own strength—or lack thereof—factor into my thinking.
Until recently.
Wow, has God been showing me a lot about strength. And weakness. Physical, spiritual, mental…
So, a little backstory:
I’ve not acquired the nickname Helga sarcastically. Though I was the youngest child and only daughter, my family never showed special treatment when it came to splitting firewood, hauling rocks, building, or helping my dad with his handyman jobs. In fact, I wouldn’t let anyone treat me as weaker. When necessary, I did my best to keep up with my dad and brother as we worked on our ranch and tamed a small wilderness. It was exhausting, but I would have been disappointed in myself if I couldn’t perform. Continue reading “Strength and Weakness (There’s More series, pt. 3)”
There’s More: a new series
I’m embarking on a new adventure. God willing, I’ll never be the same.
And you’re invited. 
What is it? Well, the good news is this adventure doesn’t involve death-defying acts or a big budget. The bad news is I have no idea how this is going to work. But that’s what makes it an adventure, right?
Here’s a little glimpse into this new series: Continue reading “There’s More: a new series”
The Jonah Within
There are few Bible personalities I really connect with. You know: Ruth was so good, and Esther was fearless and beautiful, and Mary was amazing. Paul is hard for me to get my head around, and the disciples, well, they were interesting and funny, but relatable? Well, maybe not so much.
But start talking about Jonah, and I’m right there with you. Somewhere amidst that moody, intense, prophet nature, I sense a personality at war with itself. He knew what was right, but he also knew himself. Maybe even doubted himself. And feared failure. And likely even feared success. Continue reading “The Jonah Within”
What No One Else Can Hear
Why do we associate silence with loneliness? Perhaps we mistake the blessing of solitude for the curse of loneliness.
Crazy as it may sound, I’ve learned that both solitude and loneliness can be good.
In the silence of being alone, the emptiness echoes a truth we don’t hear when we have people to turn to and the static of busyness to overpower the noise inside.
It’s the truth that our souls are utterly alone before God. Continue reading “What No One Else Can Hear”
Along the Back Roads
The woman looking at my paperwork glanced up and verified my hometown. “How’d you get here to South Dakota?” she said, almost in passing.
Picturing the miles between where I started and where I ended up, I smiled and said simply, “Via some back roads.”
Isn’t that the case more often than not? How often do we set about to do something and end up in a completely unexpected place?
As I got thinking more about back roads, I began to see ways God has used them to bring me closer to His plan. Continue reading “Along the Back Roads”
