I took a breath as I flipped the calendar to July. Normally that particular flip is met with an inhale and exhale of relief. In the past, July has meant a return to a slowed-down pace I delight in and look forward to. This year my breath was shaky and shallow. Anxious. A little uptight. I looked below my kids’ […]

Editor’s Note: Malinda’s column was cut off due to an error in production last week. The following is the column in it’s entirety. “Do you ever feel small?” I asked my companion, because as I gazed into the clear night sky full of twinkling, brilliant stars, that’s exactly what I felt. Small. The night was clear as I stared into […]

“Her’s was a life well-lived.” I heard that statement at a recent funeral, summing up the long life of a woman now passed on to Glory. She left behind a legacy of faithfulness, including people I’m thankful to call friends. The entire service was lovely. But out of all that was said, that particular statement stuck hard and fast, as […]

I always dreaded the practices when my high school track coach would send the team out on a town run designed to meander around the streets of Lindsborg. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be a “recovery run” after a meet. But for me, a sprinter, there was nothing “recovery” about it. Those lengthy runs were enjoyable for […]

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 […]