Micah

His name was Micah. Well, sort of. You see, something happened a year ago, June 16, 2022, that I've only talked about with my husband, kids, and one trusted friend. On that day, I had a second miscarriage. Again, it was way too early to know the gender, but I had the thought "a boy …

Taking a Vow

When we were in college, my husband and I had a friend who took a Nazarite vow. I thought it was interesting, and kind of impressive, but I also thought it was one of those "I'll only ever know one person who does that" situations. Enter one of my sons... I'll let him tell you …

Dear Mom

Dear Mom, It's been a year. I once read a book that used the phrase "a short eternity", and that's what the past year has been. It seems like it was just yesterday, but it also feels like forever. Something I've discovered over the last 365 days -- even more than I already knew -- …

Your Story, My Story

One Sunday, back in November, my Sunday School class (Fantastic group of ladies. I'll have to tell you about them, sometime.) was discussing the issue of comparing ourselves to others. We talked about how important, but also how hard, it is to not compare what's going on in our own lives, families, jobs -- good …

Don’t Give Up

Today is one of those days when I just don't feel like writing. I've been sitting here for longer than I'd like to admit, alternating between staring into space and messing around with social media, trying to come up with something brilliant, witty, moving, or (at least somewhat) interesting to say. But it seems to …

Discovering Someone’s Story

I love used books. There is nothing like looking through an old book with handwritten notes, dog-eared pages, and even the occasional bookmark (an actual bookmark, receipt, gum wrapper). Usually it's just a couple of highlighted sentences, or I can tell that the previous owner only finished a part of the book. But then, sometimes, …

On Being an Adult

A couple of months ago, I was making potato salad with one of my daughters. It's not a fancy recipe, but it's the one I grew up eating. I mentioned to her that whenever I eat it, I'm always reminded of my mom. My daughter said, "That's weird to me, because I always just think …

How It All Began

When I was in the third grade, we had a teacher who would allow us to write poems and stories and read them to the class. I loved to write little things to read aloud. Other than singing in church, it was my first real taste of having a "captive audience," and I loved it. …

Living a High-Profile Life

Have you ever heard someone say something -- not necessarily to you or even referencing anything about you -- that smacked you between the eyes, just the same? That happened to me yesterday.My Sunday School class was having a nice discussion about "oneness" and how we try to display that in our own lives, and …

I Blinked

I blinked.That's the only time I can figure out that it happened. It must have been when I blinked.I called the doctor's office for the results of the test and found out you were on the way. I couldn't wait to tell your dad. We were both a little in shock, but also so excited!Then …