A northern sun shines through my windshield, late rising over harvested fields as I head for home. Winter’s breath mercifully withdrew as we stood around Pam’s grave the day before, a small group of witnesses to her quiet life. “Dust to dust”, the pastor said before we parted ways, her ashes left in the dark … Continue reading Planted
Author: Andrea
Cooper’s Coat of Many Colors
He’s just a dog. A plain one. We adopted Cooper from a rescue organization last winter, and now he has claimed a place on our couch and in our hearts. He’s just a brown dog with a black muzzle - nothing fancy; not carefully bred. Nothing much to look at, until he’s lying next to … Continue reading Cooper’s Coat of Many Colors
The Door
This is the door of my father’s stories. This very door, pictured above, in an abandoned church in a tiny stone village in England. My family worshipped here 500 years ago, and probably long before that. Through this door my tenth great-grandfather walked one last time before leaving on an impossible journey to the distant … Continue reading The Door
Something to Eat
"Little girl I say to you, arise," Jesus spoke into death's stillness. Then, as life crept back in and she stirred and sighed, he turned to her parents. "Give her something to eat," he said. There would soon come a time when he would call Lazarus back to life before a stunned crowd, but this … Continue reading Something to Eat
A Wing and a Prayer
I walk down my driveway and a multitude of dragonflies lift and glide around me, silent and shining like the morning. I’m glad to see them, knowing that they feed on the plentiful Minnesota mosquitos. They fill the space around me, fluttering in the yard, resting on the patio, basking on the trees as they … Continue reading A Wing and a Prayer
Roe v. Wade was Overturned and I’m Sad
I have been involved in pro-life work for 36 years. Once I understood that abortion kills an innocent human life, I knew that I had to do something. Few issues have gripped my heart and my conscience as this one has. I have prayed, fasted and donated. I formed and helped lead a chapter of … Continue reading Roe v. Wade was Overturned and I’m Sad
For Those who Thirst
My husband brought a beautiful birdbath home a few weeks ago, to my great delight. We have long had a feast of seed waiting for the neighborhood birds, but they have so far shown little interest. Perhaps a birdbath will draw them, I thought. Surely they would enjoy the clean, clear water! But no. They … Continue reading For Those who Thirst
Extravagance
A few weeks ago, NASA released some of the first photos from the James Webb telescope from 932,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) above the earth. Have you been as captivated by those pictures as I am? The photo above shows a portion of the night sky hidden behind a grain of sand held at arm’s … Continue reading Extravagance
After the New
A tender space lies after the new. A gap between delight and complacency, of courage and disappointment. A place ripe for tending. For hope. Being new can be exhilarating. The group welcomes you in, eager to know you. They include and invite you. The new marriage is thrilling, joyful, as you dream of all the … Continue reading After the New
Finding Family
I think it was in 1978 that I first realized it. Coming from a small church in a small town, I was under the impression that believers like me were few and far between. But 1978 was the year that I, a newly licensed driver, headed out of our small town in my father’s old … Continue reading Finding Family
A View of the Lake 