Looking at the branches that have fallen from the trees in our front yard, I think about how fragile the branches of trees are, as with just one strong gust of wind, they can be disconnected from the tree that provides them life-giving substance. They lie on the ground, unable to right themselves and return... Continue Reading →
I became a grandmother when I was 31 years old. That was not the typical age for beginning this new role. Please, don't start counting on your fingers trying to decide what age I was when I first gave birth (age 24), for I transitioned to this new status so early because I adopted my... Continue Reading →
No one on the bus wanted to sit next to me. I cannot say that I blamed them, for I was a mess of torn skin, a torn soul, and torn fabric. I was running from a bad situation, one in which I was promised that I would suffer the same assault to my body... Continue Reading →
Growing up, I never lived in a house that had a pet in it. Occasionally, I would feed a stray dog or cat, but then Mama would remind me that if you started feeding them, they would never leave, and we just could not afford another mouth to feed. My best friend's family always had... Continue Reading →
Today, the oldest daughter of my late son, Malcolm, gave birth to a baby boy, and she named him, Malachi Dewayne, a slightly different first name but the same middle name. The picture I received of young Malachi touched my heart and sent it reeling in joy and thankfulness. I also cried today, and as... Continue Reading →
Have you ever been in a situation that seemed to have no end, one in which you simply could not see how it could ever be resolved in your favor? I think that in this microwave society that we live in today, we want everything, including our problems, to be resolved quickly and completely. And... Continue Reading →
A National Public Radio (NPR) program reminded me of when I sat in my apartment feeling depressed. I was struggling with college courses, getting behind, and cutting myself off from my college friends because seeing them reminded me that I wasn’t getting the work done. Being cut off just put me into a deeper depression.... Continue Reading →
When I look at the young people in our church, my heart sometimes hurts for them, mainly because they are stuck between two worlds, neither of which they fully understand. They are young, so they want to conform to the activities of their age cohorts, but, so often, the adult Christians in their lives expect... Continue Reading →
I have to admit that sometimes I am slow to ask my husband to forgive me for an unkind word or when I pretend that I am listening to him but am really thinking of something else. I try to convince myself that he was at fault for making me mad enough to "go off"... Continue Reading →
Immediately after I became a Christian, I hitchhiked from California to South Dakota but had my plans not work out. I then hitchhiked down to Colorado (adding more wildness to the trip) to look up my new Christian friends, who after their conference ended, took me back to their home town of Moscow (Idaho.) There,... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 