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When God insisted on Winter I think Jesus chimed in and invented ice skating rinks (or at least the ice–well, of course, the ice!) All that whirling and twirling jumping and spinning going on. Pratfalls and crashes and grown ups and children whizzing by and falling– re-upping their bodies umpty-million times. Fun and risk and…
If there’s one constant in my life, it’s the daily presence of my birdy friends each morning as I stand at the window with my coffee and watch them on my deck. They teach me so much. My husband and I have had our eyes on one dark-eyed junco that’s among the busy, hopping crowd…
Ripping paper tears, tape(d) to the back of yesterday, rends asunder the frame of today’s reality. Too bad the glue that held the lives in place, frame-wise, could not extend to the flesh and blood heart-wise. ~~~~ going through family photos and sorrowing over the lives of people torn apart by life. There but…
My son and his family have moved 5 times in 7 years. Last weekend was the fifth time. I think. A & C have become intimately acquainted with U-Haul trucks and storage units and late nights cleaning burnt ovens and dirty bathrooms. There are five(5!) children to move in this Collins tribe, which is no…
It’s only March and my rhubarb is unfurling. In the frozen, snow-covered parts of the country, Spring is only a word on a page somewhere near March 21st, but it has hit full force (early) here in the Pacific Northwest. The rhubarb is pretty lonely. I had grand plans to get some spinach seeds in…
I silently knock on the Kindergarten door, helper for the day in my Assistant Teacher role. I love Kindergarten. I did my student teaching there—sang a LOT of songs and played games and sat on the floor and learned words. Today is one of those days—a learning day—except I am the student. I teach in a very…
My son and his family live only 3 hours away from me in Portland (Oregon) and I often relish the drive down there for a visit. I have time to myself, just me and Jesus and my thoughts. (And really loud worship music. Bethel.) When I was ready for my return trip last week I…
I love to learn new things. I’ve been a teacher off and on (mostly on) since about 1984. I tried a couple of times to find something else to do, but God keeps calling me back to the elementary classroom. Now I’m ‘just a sub’, but it is the best job ever. If I had…
House finches flit, flit, flit and hummingbird whirrrrrs, hovering over birdseed an arm’s length away. Red finch jets elsewhere, bearing left at the bushes and the chickadee perches, eyeing the feast. Crows alight silently on the trees straight ahead, swooping at nothing as they loudly announce the morning. The waterfall sound of freeway cars and…
When you have walked through the valley of the shadow and death came anyway (not to you, for you did.not.die) and there is breath in you to greet the day. when you survive the shredding of your soul to its core and the disappearance of dreams, all other challenges– man made, God-breathed– like snow— can…