Where I Walk
“The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” William Blake I walk a parish called White Oak, which inconspicuously “becomes” after a simple bend off Fines Creek. We have a community center; a church with a bell that rings “Welcome!” three times a week;…
Walk On
On our recent trip to D.C., Bill bought me a new pair of shoes. Black ones — simple, beautiful. In them, I walked. I walked the spacious grounds of Mount Vernon — strolling in my shoes where George and Martha Washington once walked in theirs….
Your Golden Year, Jacob
Last night we sat outside, enjoying extended conversation after dinner — Jacob, Bill and me. It was the Golden Hour, and I noticed something. There weren’t any fireflies. Typically they illumine the hillside — a synchronized light show over our pasture and in the trees…
Happy 28th Anniversary!
We were friends before there were cell phones or internet or any form of social media. We wrote love notes and talked on phones attached to the wall with long (and sometimes not-so-long) cords. We socialized at the skating rink and the town basketball court…
A Mess of Berries and Bunchems
Allie loves the movie Tangled, but this word took on whole new meaning recently. While at Bible study, the children gathered. Some played with Legos and blocks, while Allie decided upon deceivingly cute Bunchems — colorful little doodads that, bunched together, create all sorts of…
Taste and See!
Taste and see that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8a — NIV). The other day I witnessed something peculiar, yet profoundly analogous to a particular struggle of mine. As I sat on my porch swing reading, I heard the familiar sound of a hummingbird. Looking…
Naked and Afraid
“… the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ And he answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid’” (Genesis 3:9, 10 — NIV). Confession — I watch a show called Naked and…
Mockery Made Melody
God turns our mourning into joyful dancing… (from Ps. 30) Nineteen years ago today I returned home from the hospital without my daughter. Her empty car seat seemed to mock me from Columbia to Greenville, SC — and had I listened to the voice of…
Scattered Seed
As a little girl, I remember walking along the back fencerow of our yard in search of milkweed — their pods gathered in clusters. The unattractive gray-brown outer coverings, once opened, revealed a glorious treasure – silky white fluff that floated on the wind. My…
March On!
Yesterday I protested, though I held no sign. I didn’t shout, though I communicated emphatically. I looked in the mirror first thing in the morning and heard an incriminating voice, “You’re a NASTY woman,” but I combated it with truth — claiming instead “And I…