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What Happened Last Friday

We bought a house last Friday. Kyle and I signed our names on eight pages of paperwork, confirmed the money wire, hugged the realtor, and...

Empty House. Deep Breath. Move On.

For months, I was adamant that we would not sell Dad’s house. I couldn’t imagine letting it go. It held all my parents’ stuff, and...

See You at the Next Stop

Life is a journey. So, for this part of the journey, I’ll be saying goodbye until the next stop: Ankaase, Ghana. Thank you for your...

The Saturday Fear Factor

Today is one of those beautiful Saturdays when one of the college kids is home, we all slept in, fall is around the corner, and we’re...

Join Us on the Front Porch: We’re All Messed Up

I’m a rut girl when it comes to exercise, which means that I walk the exact same route at the same pace every morning. And many mornings,...

Keep Calm and Consider the Birds

A few months after my mother died, a mama bird made a nest in the floodlights of our back patio. While we sat in the cool spring air and...

The Beauty of a Crazy Idea

“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances...

Is Anyone Out There Listening?

When Kyle and I started dating in college, I would often ask him this question during a long stretch of silence: “So…hey, what are you...

Saving Seats in Church

I grew up in the church I attend, which makes me a bit of a relic. It’s an evangelical Baptist church and I live in the Bible belt, so...

Children Here and There

Just so you know, there is a video at the conclusion of this post, but it’s cheating if you scroll to the bottom first. It’s been almost...

Last Week’s Lessons from Ugandan Women

There are those moments when everything in your life gets put in sharp, pointed, and sometimes painful perspective. Last Thursday, I sat...

A Valentines Day Tribute: Failures, Detours, and the Myth of the Perfect Marriage

I fell in love with my husband on our college campus when I was 19 and he was 20. He had shaggy blond hair and a smile that made me feel...

Gift Bags for the Red Lights

It happened again last week. As I was approaching a red light after exiting the expressway, I saw the man sitting on the side of the...

The Word for 2012: Descend

So when the time came to think about 2012 and what this year might bring, I reminded myself of last year’s project. I resolved to make no...