I set the shoes in an orderly row beside the door. He comes behind and throws them around the rug. I fold the shirts into a neat stack. He yanks the stack off the couch. I turn on the vacuum with my foot and set out across the carpet. He comes behind me and, imitating…
Five Minute Friday: future
I walked down the aisle to "O God Beyond All Praising," a magnificent poem by Michael Perry, set to Holtst's magnificent "Jupiter" theme. The second verse says: Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring, That we, who know your favor, may serve you as our King. And whether our tomorrows be filled with good…
happy returns
I don't remember what it felt like to wake up that morning, the one rainy Saturday of the entire fall. How do people live through such days? Days that you enter knowing they are going to change only everything? How does an indecisive, usually fearful girl keep on, one step and then the next, toward…
Five Minute Friday (on Monday): find
So I find it to be a law, Paul says, that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. Sin is crouching at your door, the LORD warned Cain. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. You must rule over sin. But you are enslaved to sin, sold and law-bound…
Five Minute Friday: relief
The door opens and I turn to see who it is: a man who mumbles an apology: "Hey, sorry about the noise." Only three students were in attendance when my eight o'clock class was to begin -- they increased to ten before the end. My ten o'clock was full, but the students were rain-drenched, having…
2014: learnings
Today I join Emily P. Freeman of Chatting at the Sky to share things I've learned in 2014. I thought it was going to be just things learned in December. Thinking through the whole year was harder. But here are a few of many, many things learned: 1. Robert Murray M'Cheyne's daily Bible reading calendar…
upon grace
What do I need to write on a long day of December rain? What do I need to write on a day when I've simply felt pale blue? What do I need to write on day when I spend hours trying to say things and feeling discouraged at not finding the connections, the words? I need to write…
November: learnings
1. The differences between wind-borne leaves and birds is sometimes negligible in November. 2. Fall is a season which might convince one of the glory of dying: the dance of the leaves as they fall, and the trees casting less and less shadow and admitting more and more view of the sky and the sun.…
Noticing, Day 27: goodness. mercy.
Today it's hay bales standing in calm ranks on their new-mown fields. It's dogs frolicking in pairs in the ditches of the highways: a pair of tiny terriers, a pair of hounds, and -- most improbably -- a pair of Shih Tzus. The weather, apparently, brings out the joyous dogginess of all dogs. It's the breeze…
Noticing, Day 26: lovingkindness
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. His love does not depend on me or on my ability to compose thoroughly satisfactory blog posts every day of this month. (Or my ability to do anything at all -- praise the LORD!) Tonight,…
Between Blue Rocks 