Taking the Help That Comes (Podcast #42)

There are seasons of my life where I become acutely aware that I am in way over my head. When I want to hand my life over to someone who is more qualified to run it for me because I literally do not know what I’ve gotten myself into. I find that as overwhelming as…

There Is a Woman in the Mirror

There is a woman in the mirror that shares my face but does not know who I am. She mimics my every move with nuanced attention to detail–the slight raise of brow, the synchronized blink and focus, the parting lips and hint of smile… Her performance is flawless. But she does not know what I…

Choosing a Life of Celebration (Podcast #20)

The choice is always before us: A life of desperation or a life of celebration. In today’s podcast, I invite you to celebrate your life and to celebrate with me as I look back over this incredible last year. I am truly overflowing with gratitude as I remember the love and faithfulness of God in…

The Birth Story of Haven McCabe

Our baby’s due date came and went without the first sign of nearing labor. Each following day could have been the perfect beginning of a birth story. The day Randy discovered the song of the wood thrush and absorbed himself in writing a piece of music using the intervals of the bird’s song. There was…

In the Wake of a Miracle (A First Attempt at Words)

*This post is the beginning of an attempt to respond to the Great Miracle that has happened in our lives through The Everyday Good. 2 a.m. In my bed, I wake to words that press in around me and won’t let me sleep. I get up and make my way to the quiet basement with…

Words About You, Creative Family Idea Box #14

This is a sweet and simple way to encourage your children and help them to know they are special and loved.  Get an envelope for each child and print his/her name on it.  Have everyone write words about each person on slips of paper and “deliver” the words to the proper envelopes.  At the end…

Voices of My Life, an abridged biography

It’s easy to look back over years as a series of big events–the day I was born, schools I attended, graduations, marriage, jobs held, the birthdays of my children…  These are the visible rings around my tree, the important details in a brief biography of my life. But when I close my eyes and let…

On Words (In every storm, mercy…)

Words are a comfort to me.  They press in around me while I am lying awake in bed.  I can feel the word mercy wrap me up like a weighted blanket.  I have heard the heavy clank and felt the ground shake under the weight of that word as it anchored my soul to the…

Living Conversation

I love words.  They are not perfect, because they aren’t really the things themselves:  the word “chicken” is not a chicken, it is just some scribbled lines on paper.  The word “angry” is not an emotion, it is just a symbol for the feeling.  The word “fragrant” is not the actual smell of gardenias, it…