In addition to Down Syndrome, my son Ben has Autism. Part of what comes with that is a delight in making patterns. His favorite activity while watching tv is to make a pattern tower with his Legos. He does this by continuously removing the bottom row and putting it on top. This creates a perpetual … Continue reading Stacking Legos
Pivot
I said the words by Strawberry Creek, perched on a fallen cedar in the sunlight. I can still feel the soft, ridged bark under my hands, smell the warm pine needles at my feet. I didn't understand much, just that there was a God out there who somehow cared about me and this holy moment … Continue reading Pivot
The New
The sun will rise over the frozen lake tomorrow, new and brilliant as always. A new day and a new year bound up in one gift to celebrate and to steward. This marker of time is arbitrary, truly, and yet we need these waypoints to remember what has gone before, to anticipate what may come … Continue reading The New
Advent
Many churches celebrate a season of Advent, anticipating the birth of Jesus. Advent means "arrival", and this is a season of waiting. We all have seasons of waiting. For direction, perhaps, or provision. For freedom, for healing, for change. We wait at bedsides, in doctor's offices, courthouses and social service buildings. We wait in lonely … Continue reading Advent
This I Know
I was talking with a friend this morning about songs that run through our heads, and she mentioned the children's song, "Jesus Loves Me". I rocked my babies to sleep singing this warm assurance over them as they drifted off on my shoulder many years ago. But sometimes I need to remind myself of these … Continue reading This I Know
Sunrise
The sun rises differently in the mountains. Where there is no horizon, it slips over the peaks and ridges to reach our town. I remember walking the mile to the school bus stop, starting off in the gray and blue silence and then watching as the light first topped the highest pine trees, turning the … Continue reading Sunrise
What Lies Behind
"Your closest exit may be behind you." Have you ever heard that reminder from a flight attendant? He mentions that because sometimes our focus is so fixed ahead of us that we forget to take into consideration what is behind us. It's the same way with history. We are fearful of where our world is … Continue reading What Lies Behind
A Kiss
Our son Ben has Down Syndrome, Autism and is nonverbal. He is a 3-year old in a man's body. This past year he insisted that I play the theme for his favorite pro wrestler while he struts out to the bus in the mornings. In order to look as cool as possible, he sports a … Continue reading A Kiss
Fences
In southern California where I was raised, all the backyards in my neighborhood were fenced. Neighbors didn't traipse through your back yard; if they had business with you, they had to come to the front door and knock. I came from a home that was "invitation only" - and invitations were few and carefully issued. … Continue reading Fences
Evacuation
Sometimes it seems a lifetime ago that I lived in my little town in the mountains. I miss small-town life; the being known. I miss having the boundaries established and purposes to fulfill. My little mountain town came close to burning down last month. The houses across the street from my childhood home all burned, … Continue reading Evacuation
A View of the Lake 