“I don’t waste my time with fiction.” I stared at the professional woman across from me, trying to decide if I should contradict her. Whether or not shock registered on my face, I couldn’t say, but my guess is she could see some fire in my eyes, as I don’t have a great poker face. I opted to keep my […]

Saturday as I sat down to write, the blinking cursor seemed to taunt me as I typed a sentence and deleted it. Typed another sentence and deleted. I began thinking ahead to possibilities for this month’s column the week after I submitted last month’s and yet, there I sat with the blank page and the blinking cursor—only a tabbed indent […]

I had just rolled out of bed and shuffled to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. My son wanted an omelet with cheese and salsa for his breakfast, so after filling my mug, I went to the fridge for a dollop of coffee creamer for me and eggs for my boy. And I stepped in a puddle of water. […]

It was the summer of 2016. I’d just returned from a trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Florida with my mom and my sister. The trip was a small rest between coaching middle and high school track and field and the start of wheat harvest. I was grateful for time at the beach, but aching to get back […]

On May 12, our second-born turned 10. Her birthday was the third quarantine party we’ve had in our family since March. To help make the day special, I had an idea to put a birthday box on our porch for people to put cards and other well-wishes inside. It felt like a risky move because for the last four years, […]

It took me years to realize I had been duped. While I’m fairly confident it wasn’t on purpose, this catchy Christian cliche, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” had butted against my reality for seemingly my whole life. But professing Christians said it, so it must be true. Right? It wasn’t until I started studying scripture on […]

On April 16, 2009, we celebrated our daughter’s first birthday with a ladybug cake. A few days later, her pediatrician called, explaining that her hemoglobin levels came back “dangerously low” from a routine well-child check. He told us to pack a bag and head to Wichita to the hospital. By the time we were dismissed from that first stay, our […]

On Feb. 12 it snowed. And not just a wimpy snow. An actual good snow. A snow where you could go outside and play. Make a snowman. Make a snow fort. Have a snowball fight. Fall on your belly and not break your teeth. I love snow and have been impatiently waiting all winter for decent accumulation. I know there […]

Things I’ve learned from my adoption “What do I have to be thankful for? My own dad didn’t want me.” Thanksgiving was creeping closer, and I had just unleashed that question on a group of high school freshmen I thought to be my friends. If I recall correctly, it was the first time I voiced that inner turmoil. My biological […]

It was a dark, early morning. The sun remained asleep and yet people streamed quietly from the warmth of vehicles into the crisp winter air, up a set of stairs and into church. The flood of light accompanying the swing of the doors teased the yet-night sky. Though pulled from my bed before the normal hour, my eyes were bright […]