Life – a cup at a time
On August 31, 2019, my path crossed that of a mass killer. I live in Odessa, Texas, and was in the shopping area where most of the random shooting took place. Going from store to store on a hunt for a new outdoor grill, five minutes later at one intersection — or earlier at another …
He should never have been in this part of the city, but his pickup had inhaled gas while sitting in the backup from an accident, and the man wasn’t sure he could make it much further. He grabbed the first exit he saw. It took longer to find a gas station than he had figured. …
It’s OK to be mad at God. Really. It took me a long time to figure this out. And I think it applies to everyone, regardless of your spiritual tradition, but I will speak from my own Christian background, as that is what I know best. The first time I really got mad at God, …
Something shattered into pieces, Someone crushed them under foot. Somewhere the scattered pieces lay, Somewhen, long overlooked. Somewhen, an artist found them, Somehow he scooped them up; Someone loved with tender hands Something I had given up. Something forms beneath the artist’s touch: Mosaic full of grace. Someone else would never think to make Beauty …
Heated discussions in my family often ended with someone declaring “It’s just semantics!” as we often agreed in the essentials, if not the specifics. But semantics matter. For writers, it should never be “just semantics”. We should be careful and cognizant of what we say, how we say it, and what the consequences might be. …
Knowing when it’s time to say goodbye isn’t always easy. As peripatetic as my life has been, you’d think I’d be a pro, but instead (or because of all my moving around?) I still find it difficult. I began thinking about this when an old friend changed their profile picture on social media to a …
Weeding is one of those chores that everyone loves to complain about, but the process is both necessary and fulfilling, whether working in a garden or one’s life. This year we’re dealing with one and a half acres that have been neglected for at least seven years (according to the neighbor). The back acre is …
Change is inevitable. We all know that. So why do we fight it so much? From the moment we emerge from the warm, quiet security of the womb, we are bombarded with differences, and we cry. Lights, noises, and new sensations all announce that our world has changed, and it never stops. Not until we …
When I decided to explore the concept of Grace with this blog, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It’s kind of like asking God to give you patience; such lessons aren’t comfortable. For example, take the house we purchased last winter — please! I’d always dreamed of owning a house full …
Are you a runaway? Most of us are, at one time or another. Maybe we don’t pack our favorite stuffed animal in to a small backpack and sneak out the bedroom window; maybe we don’t end up as homeless teenagers on the streets; maybe we don’t create a new identity or drop off the grid …