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.
What Moving Has Taught Me About Living
Moving can teach a thing or two about life.
I’ve seen a fair share of new addresses. While there are military and missionary families that have much higher stats than I do, I’ve moved abroad twice and lived in rental houses, permanent homes, guest houses, basements, and campers. And as I’m in the middle of a move right now, I’ve been reflecting on my last five years in this town and on all the moves I’ve ever done.
One thing I’ve realized: while it’s the time in between moves when we do our living, the moving process can show us how we’ve lived.
Here are the top ten things moving has taught me about living: Continue reading “What Moving Has Taught Me About Living”
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)”
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”
When God’s Dreams are Yours
It was the sort of question I hated. I took a sip of my latte as I formulated an answer. What would I like to be doing two years from now? Hmm.
The person across the table asking the question meant well. Perhaps the opportunity she wanted to lay out would be something I’d like to jump on board with. She waited patiently as I chewed my lip, unsure how to make what was in my heart sound logical—or at least more than a wild fancy.
I mean, I’m just a dreamer. Deep down, in those ten seconds as I tried to imagine not what I thought I would be but what I could be if I had my druthers, I knew I would always be a writer—was one regardless. But I also saw another dream I hadn’t discovered until earlier that year. Continue reading “When God’s Dreams are Yours”
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”
The Power of the Impossible
What a crazy few months it’s been! Thought with this month’s post I’d give a bit of an update.
I recently got back home from my working traveling adventure. Three months, fourteen states, and 12,000 miles later, I’m energized and ready to dive into another writing project. My next manuscript, In Lieu of a Plot, will be a full-fledged rewrite/ironing out of last year’s NaNoWriMo project. This story just won’t let me go, so I’m going to pounce on it and put it to page–officially, this time. (Meaning, other people’s eyes will be allowed to see it. Eventually.)
So, even though ILOAP is what I call a humorous historical, I’m presently researching funeral customs in all its morbid details and am learning interesting things along the way. For example, did you know that the word “parlor,” referring to a home’s sitting room, went Continue reading “The Power of the Impossible”
If Infinity Is the End
For one moment last month, I thought I was going to die.
And now that you probably have a vision of me flipping a car or falling off a roof, I must admit it was nothing so dramatic. I was struggling to breathe, choking on a bite of food I’d hoped would give me the energy I needed before I dashed out again for a job interview. Nonetheless, when the Heimlich maneuver didn’t work for the second time and I feared making the problem worse, a thought came like a whisper: is this it?
