"Being careful is not as much fun as being friends," said Frances. "Do you want to be careful, or do you want to be friends?" This quote comes from one of the delightful Frances books, A Bargain for Frances. Frances gets fooled by her friend Thelma, so she pulls off a stunt to trick Thelma back. But …
Category: Family and Friends
Lily
My oldest son had an especially difficult summer. When fall arrived, I expected his mood to brighten with the change of seasons. But it didn't. Then one morning, he found a black kitten on our doorstep. She was a fuzzy ball of cuteness, and Elijah took her right into his heart. Blackie lived in the house as …
Giving Blood, Receiving Friendship
This autumn season has been a particularly lonely one, as I described in my post Sojourners. My old group of friends is winnowing down to a few faithful ones, and my new group of friends is mostly still in that semi-awkward stage. I feel my world tilting, and I'm waiting for it to balance in the direction God has …
Helping Daddy
My son ought to be in nursery school, playing with brightly colored toys. And (gasp) he hasn't even started learning the alphabet yet, at 18 months old! Instead, he spends his days doing this: Give me a hammer and some sawdust, any day, Mom! Best of all, I like to help Daddy. Don't you see …
Desolate
Excuse me if I weep ...the charm of this sweet autumn day reminds me of the charm of one I loved. This horizon, like hers, stretches fluently into a misty miraging ethereal distance. These trees, like dreams once dreamed by her, flash gilt-edged red in high triumph. This wind, like her spirit, pushes laughter past …
This Family
Our family sat on the porch, taking in the beautiful fall weather while eating our lunch. During a rare lull in the conversation, Elijah said: "You know what I think about this family? It needs improvements." The mother of this family nearly choked on her peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich. (In spite of her laughter, she was painfully aware …
Lord, please excuse us
We sink into our chairs around the table for supper. Everybody grabs hands, and holds them nicely. (Lucky, this time.) Then Elijah, my 8-year-old son, prays. The first sentence or two blurs by, then I hear him hastily add... "Now Lord, please excuse us because we're really hungry! Amen." (The adults in the house shake with suppressed …
God and Little Girls
Lying on our backs side by side on the trampoline in the twilight. Looking up at the stars and pondering the big things in life. Like why we can't see the stars, and how to play colorlight, and where Jesus is and what he's doing. Desiree: Does Jesus want people around him? Will: Yes, Jesus …
Pain in My Bones
On our way to church on Sunday, Will pulled out his phone to text some of our best friends. What are you doing today? Nothing. Come over for lunch. Or later if you already have lunch plans. We'll come for lunch. Thank you! Several hours later found us at their table, eating taco salad and …
arabah rejoice 