During the holidays, some families honor the memory of their loved ones who have moved on from this realm by leaving an empty chair and place setting at their table for them. I’ve never been quite sure how I felt about this practice of remembrance; it was never something that my family did for any […]
The Something Better
Thank you, White Level Baptist Church, for including me in your family there—being with you truly does feel like “home” to me. Sunday, I was given the privilege of speaking at a morning church service for Women’s Day. I had spoken at this same church years ago, back in 2016 I believe, for this same […]
Christmas and Cheese (with holes in it)
Summer of 2021, after months and months apart, I was finally allowed to visit my ailing mother in person at the nursing/rehab center that Mom was in when the pandemic hit. She had a broken back and was thus in physical agony most all the time, and she’d been diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia. Though […]
Heaven and the Highway Padre
Heaven became an even more glorious place on June 22, 2022 when my dear brother and friend entered into it; and this is our friendship origin story and a tribute to a very great man. “I really like your jacket,” I said the very first time I ever laid eyes on him. The jacket that […]
A Note for Blog Subscribers
Hi, dear ones! Yesterday, a post I’ve been working on was “accidentally” published before edits, fact checks, etc. I realized my mistake quickly and removed it from my website but any blog subscribers would have already received the post in their email. Would you please delete that email/post? The “real” version of it will be […]
May God Be Close (on Mama’s birthday)
Today is a day that I have been truly dreading ever since the enormity of it registered with me. The very last time I saw my mother alive down here was one year ago today, when I was allowed a very controlled, outdoor visit with her, as she had found herself “trapped” in a facility […]
A Fast Forward
Monday, June 6th, I had the privilege of finally being able to step back out and speak again, after several years of not doing so. This time, though, the subject matter was quite different from what it has been in the past. While I did still speak of suffering, it was no longer within the […]
Between Us and the Monsters
As God has done so frequently throughout my life, he spoke to me recently through the actions of my daughter’s most furry BFF, her rescue dog, Cupcake. Sometimes, most times many might well say, our pets are the ones who can and do show us the fearless, unconditional love that we’ve searched for in the […]
“Uncaged”
The call came quite early on a Tuesday morning, around 5:40 a.m. it was. I had fallen into a restless sleep on the sectional couch in our great room with the phone right beside me, just in case the call did come. I picked up the phone that morning before the end of the first […]
Our Weakness is no Stranger
The King of kings thus lay in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our Friend; He knows our need, Our weakness is no stranger, Behold your King, before Him lowly bend! Lyrics from “O Holy Night” (John S. Dwight’s translation of the French poem upon which this song is based) During this […]