What does it take for a writer to lose her words? I’ve been growing my vocabulary for my lifetime–36 years now, starting today. I’ve had lots of vocab teachers, beginning with my mom but definitely not limited to people. Books. Books. Books. I’ve journaled since early elementary school. In fact, one of my old diaries currently sits on my writing […]

“But now they laugh at me, men who are younger than I….And now I have become their song; I am a byword to them. They abhor me; they keep aloof from me; they do not hesitate to spit at the sight of me” (Job 30:1, 9-10). Byword. Abhor. As I read those words I had a visceral reaction. I felt […]

I still remember some of the songs Mrs. Anderson selected for my high school choir and my high school madrigals group to sing for various performances. I imagine this an impressive feat as my 20th high school reunion creeps ever-closer. With the mix of voices during my junior year in madrigals, we attacked a complex acapella piece called “Chili Con […]

I have a large stack of cards from last year that never got stuffed, addressed or sent. The photo is stellar and professional, thanks to my photographer sister-in-law, so that wasn’t the problem. The problem was the time factor and the realization that sending Christmas cards stresses me out. I promise I’m not a season’s greetings hater. I like to […]

This time of year always seems to blur together for me. Planning costumes for Halloween rolls into Thanksgiving rolls into Christmas rolls into the new year. I used to try to place boundaries on the holidays, but with the work I currently do–writing, particularly about faith–Christmas season begins in October, if not before. In order to study and prepare for […]

Seven years ago, I approached my Free Press editor, wondering whether I had written too many times about miscarriage. I thought maybe he would agree with me that, yes, a few times was enough. Rather, he told me the topic was important and I should keep writing. After his encouragement, I have felt free to share many more times about […]

Well over a year ago, I found myself reading a blog by a woman I don’t know. I found her blog through an online network of bloggers who come together to support each other’s work. I thought her title and teaser looked fun, so I clicked. As I read more of her words, though, my stomach dropped and my blood […]

I took one more peek at the radar on my phone. The two storm cells I was watching looked to split Hillsboro, one to the north and one to the south. My prediction, based on the recent weather pattern, was that Hillsboro would remain dry, even though I could hear the occasional rumble of thunder. Grabbing my plate of seasoned […]

On the second day of vacation, I found myself staring into a vast expanse of blue sky, dotted with the occasional cotton-candy cloud. Without context, this is not unusual. I often stare into the sky, enjoying the wonder of it. My kids are used to my instruction to look out a window at a cloud, at color-pairings, at a majestic […]

Part of our life in rural Kansas is harvest. I married the son of a farmer, so summer and fall harvest come with the territory. My mama came from a farming family, so I grew up watching my grandpa and uncle farm as well. It was always so poetic to watch! My grandpa and uncle had a large operation and […]