living in light of eternity
It is Saturday, not yet noon, when the doorbell rings. Jehovah’s Witnesses. They come by every other month or so, always catching me off-guard—dressed in my yoga pants to clean, or midway through cooking up a weekend brunch. They come in pairs, or threes, wearing suits and ties, dresses and patent leather shoes, bright smiles... Continue Reading →
This past week two of my kids had their last first day of school. Our son, Joshua, is a senior. Our daughter, Abigail, just a junior, is nevertheless on track to finish a year early. No more rushing out with forgotten lunches, no more parent-teacher meetings, no more number two pencils. This year is a... Continue Reading →
I suppose everyone who's ever traveled very long or very far from home has had two epiphanies in common: All my life, I never knew __________ was wonderful.All my life, I never knew __________ was pathetic. You travel from the US to the UK and suddenly become very aware of the life-changing delight of clothes... Continue Reading →
They arrive in the mail and show up on Facebook-- photos of that little girl we used to know, all dressed up in cap and gown, or that toddler now wearing a tie. It is the season of completions, and new beginnings-- graduation. But it is a different kind of commencement at our house this... Continue Reading →
This morning there are a million things to do. Sticky things, like planning for a major trip--tickets, insurance, money, lists--the wrapping up of another school year, tests, did I do that yet? and what if I forget? I have that sense that if I am not careful, the world outside my windows will start to... Continue Reading →
It should have been a trip to the ICU, and instead it's just a bad hair day. Yesterday I did something really stupid, the sort of thing I would lambaste my children for. Unable to get my lighter to work, I threw a lit match into our gas grill. Predictably, this ignited a huge ball... Continue Reading →
The first overseas missionary I remember meeting was a single woman who lived in Africa. When I was a child, she stayed in our home for a week and gave me a lovely necklace of polished gray seeds that came from her beloved Angola. In the evenings, she told stories that danced in my young... Continue Reading →
Today I'd like to welcome my sweet friend Susan to the blog. It wasn't long ago that she shared a great story with me, and I asked if she'd write it out to share with all of you. This is a great reminder for me as a mom...and as a child. Don't you love how... Continue Reading →
"Moses!" It is my daughter's favorite faux cuss word, a word when life surprises her (and maybe not in a good way.) When her brother knocks a glass of milk into her lap. Moses! When she bumps into a forgotten deadline. Moses! When we wake up to a snow hurricane--um, thank you, Denver, but we'll... Continue Reading →
Which came first, the prayer or the answer to it? Let's say there is a season of drawing near, hungry as Oliver Twist, drawn by the lavish feast and the door thrown open. Let's say the table is piled high with steaming loaves of bread and trays of smoky meat, fruit like bright jewels, overflowing... Continue Reading →
Catherine's Letters 