“Friendship arises out of mere Companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening Friendship would be…
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A Garden in the Wilderness
My daughter and I met S.D. Smith, author of the Green Ember Series, at a Homeschool Fair once. We waited in a long line of people, eager to get a picture and a signed copy of his newest middle grade novel in a series that has delighted many a heart with it’s themes of struggle,…
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Once upon a time… It’s the way all good stories begin. My Caleb’s story, began on a cold December day just a couple weeks before Christmas. As the world was readying itself for holidays filled with dinner parties, presents, and Christmas treats, my body was readying itself to be emptied out: to bring my firstborn…
A Longing for Heaven
There are longings in our souls that can only be fulfilled in God. That is one thing that grief has given me. A dissatisfaction with everything this world has to offer…even the good things were never meant to give us that full, beautiful satisfaction that we’re all craving, deep in our hearts.
Free Falling
Being a military family has its challenges. But it’s not without its perks. You have a ready community of friends that you meet through deployments and transitions. On Active Duty, every few years you move to another place, with new people, in a new area. You make new friends. When Kyle was on Active…
It’s my birthday…
Yesterday, I finished a half century worth of revolutions around the sun. So many emotions jumbled up in this 50 year old heart…love, joy, sadness, the ache of grief, loneliness for loved ones not near, joy in those that are, gratefulness for all God’s precious gifts. I find that grief is so multidimensional. Someone may…
Sacred Shards
There are times in this life when we encounter the sacred. There have been a few such times for me. But sometimes I wonder how many more moments there would have been, had my eyes been opened to it. When I might have been more attuned to his presence. After Caleb’s Heaven Day, the great…
Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt
Two years ago today, just 9 1/2 months before opening his eyes in heaven, Caleb took pen to paper and wrote a poem. It was a cry from his heart. It is now inscribed on our hearts. It is a story of struggle. And a story of overcoming. Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt Wandering…
The Hope that doesn’t disappoint
“God will not protect you from anything that will make you more like Jesus.”(Elisabeth Elliot) This right here is a paradigm shift. How often do we pray, “Lord, take this sickness away!” “Lord, heal my child!” “Lord, keep him/her safe on the road!” Is it wrong to pray this way? I don’t think so. In…
While We’re Waiting
I am learning that one of the ways we push against the darkness that clouds our souls, is to link arms with fellow travelers on the journey. Some of these have just experienced the loss of a child. Others are further down the road. All of us are holding the ache of a child who…