It’s been nearly nine years since my father went home to Jesus. As I sat there next to the gentleman who had been his best friend, I knew we were feeling the knowing of a man of God, a truth teller, and touching the edges of a vastness only snatched in glimpses this side of eternity. For that brief moment, we were touching heaven in a way that made the pain of earth sharper and the joy of life richer. Theirs was a deep and abiding friendship made rich by the Spirit of God, and their adventures together were the backdrop of my childhood. My memories, both of heart and…

The back door is open onto the screened porch, and I can hear the bell sounds of the wind chime that is hanging above the patio. There are still green leaves on the trees, but these will begin to turn and fall soon. The warmth that is still in the air is becoming shy, and it, too, will give way to chill in another month. The daylight hours are fewer and will become fewer still. Winter is not bearing down just yet, but the inevitability of it weighs. Even in our cities and towns, there is a measure of preparedness that must be met at the change of season. Water…

Today my youngest son turned twenty-nine. I was grateful to have some time with him, and we enjoyed visiting together, just the two of us. He’s a gentle soul with a heart of compassion, and he’s also a super smart dude. I know you’re thinking, “Every old crow thinks hers is the blackest.” Well, you’re right. A mother sees the best and cheers the best in all her children. Even when they do not think these things about themselves, our noble calling as mothers demands that we lift up, build up and stir up all the good that the Lord has deposited. I believe in smiling at the future. (Proverbs…

We went away for the weekend. A little getaway to a cabin in the mountains. Months ago, when we were looking ahead for an opportunity to make the trip, it seemed the timing would be good. And as the hour approached for departure, we were more and more aware that God had ordained it. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 ESV) We had planned, but God most assuredly ordered the time. There is something about a change of scenery that helps put things in perspective. There is something about the respite of regular duties that makes room for meditation. We had long conversations and longer silences,…

When my children were teenagers, they had a friend who posted succinctly one early October day, “Hello, hoodie. I’ve missed you.” We were charmed. And, also quite in agreement. The mornings are just beginning to be cooler, and I am always so surprised that temperature has a smell. It doesn’t just feel crisp, the fragrance is also somehow clean. The sharpness in the air changes the way things sound, too. As though a frequency knob has been turned, and it is possible to now distinguish background noises that were hidden before. Maybe that’s a bit fanciful, and maybe it is simply that when the season begins to change, our senses…