“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” Isaiah 40:26 God flung the galaxies into the void like … Continue reading Lift up your Eyes
Author: Andrea
Sorrowful, yet Rejoicing
"You don't know how I've suffered," she said. "All of you with your happy families haven't ever had something bad happen to you. No one understands how awful my life has been". She had been drinking, so I let it go that night, but this was her script - her identity, which kept her trapped … Continue reading Sorrowful, yet Rejoicing
Obscurity
There was a flurry of excitement in the beginning. Dreams and angelic visitation; a strange new star; foreigners bearing gifts. Then slaughter, a desperate escape and exile. And finally, returning to settle into an average place in a poor village. Except for a brief glimpse in scripture at age 12, He lived in obscurity. An … Continue reading Obscurity
Desperate for Christmas
It began the day after Halloween. On my morning walk I noticed a few wreaths on front doors and garland adorning mailboxes and entryways. At home my social media feed began showing people posing with Christmas trees recently decorated. All of this before the jack-o-lanterns were gone from the front stoop. We usually afford Thanksgiving … Continue reading Desperate for Christmas
A Thanksgiving to Remember
I spent Thanksgiving of 1992 in a sports bar, in an unfamiliar city far from home. My baby lay in cardiac ICU recovering from open heart surgery. The only restaurant open that day was a sports bar next to a girlie club, so there my husband and I perched on stools, eating burgers and nursing … Continue reading A Thanksgiving to Remember
Blessing
I leaned forward on the hard pew that first time in church, skinny legs swinging as I watched the fatherly pastor place his hands on the heads of the people before him. "The Lord bless you, and keep you," he intoned. "The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The … Continue reading Blessing
It’s Always Morning Somewhere
One of the best things about living on a lake is being able to see the sunrise. Every morning I watch as the darkness fades and the golden light slips between the trees, across the water and into my living room. Some mornings remain dull and gray. Others come with an explosion of color. But … Continue reading It’s Always Morning Somewhere
The View from the Precipice
Election week is upon us in the U.S.A and it feels like we are perilously close to the edge of a division that we may not be able to back away from. Having the election decided may give the illusion of winners and losers, but the fact is that we have all lost this election. … Continue reading The View from the Precipice
Listening for Ice Cream
My son Ben has significant intellectual disabilities. As a result, he has a very small vocabulary consisting of only nouns and verbs. If I say, "Do you want ice cream?" He'll respond with enthusiasm. And if I say, "Do you never want ice cream again?" I'll get the same response. He hears "ice cream", and … Continue reading Listening for Ice Cream
A Different Summer
Do you remember writing about summer vacation for the first assignment of the school year? What would you write this year? I am tallying up a number of gains and losses. The hardest loss was not being able to see my children who live far away. I also missed attending a family wedding in California. … Continue reading A Different Summer
