abundant life

Nov 3, 20133 min read

Hi. Remember Me?

I haven’t blogged in three months and I’m not proud of this. The last time you heard from me I had sore legs from hiking and was reading...

Jun 26, 20133 min read

Years and Cheers: Hold Your Head High, 48

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent an hour of it in the dentist’s chair. By choice. I’m not proud of myself for scheduling a dentist...

Apr 30, 20134 min read

How I Talk To My Daughter About Terrorists (and other tragedies)

Alison and I watched CNN together the night of the Boston Marathon bombings and the night the suspect was captured. I know that family...

Apr 14, 20133 min read

Why I’m Ditching These Accessories

So it’s come to this. I can’t imagine why a dog would allow herself to be so demeaned by a 12 year-old who claims to love her, however...

Nov 1, 20123 min read

Thoughts on a Hurricane

On our return trip from Ghana Sunday afternoon, I barely escaped New York’s JFK airport ahead of Sandy. Having just flown in from the...

Oct 26, 20123 min read

Ghana in October, Day Six : Wrapping Up in the Dark

It’s official: the SDA School Computer Lab is now up and running! Otis and the other IT instructors know computers. They got everything...

Sep 21, 20123 min read

Join Us on the Front Porch: We’re All Messed Up

I’m a rut girl when it comes to exercise, which means that I walk the exact same route at the same pace every morning. And many mornings,...

Aug 24, 20123 min read

We Said Goodbye Today

I’ve said in earlier posts that I do not like goodbyes. But on this rainy Friday we said one at a funeral home, and then the final...

Aug 11, 20123 min read

Saving Seats in Church

I grew up in the church I attend, which makes me a bit of a relic. It’s an evangelical Baptist church and I live in the Bible belt, so...

Jul 11, 20123 min read

Shameless Plug: The Mia Column

I used to edit a print magazine, Mia. For three years, my publishing partners and I birthed a “baby” every three months and then proudly...

Jun 27, 20126 min read

The Simple Made Complicated

I’ve just finished reading the Journal of Christian Legal Thought, Spring 2012 issue. At this point, you are about to click off this post...

Apr 29, 20124 min read

The Sanctity of Every Life

I have a friend who attends quite a few pro-life rallies. She believes deeply in the sanctity of life and so she holds placards on street...

Apr 13, 20124 min read

Growing Up Born Again

The title of this post is also the name of a book by Patricia Klein. I think that could be me on the cover – minus the older brother...

Feb 19, 20124 min read

Last Week’s Lessons from Ugandan Women

There are those moments when everything in your life gets put in sharp, pointed, and sometimes painful perspective. Last Thursday, I sat...

Feb 8, 20123 min read

Uncomfortable Places: Life Begins Here

In an unintended effort to find numerous and varied ways to waste even more time on my computer, I have entered into the world of...

Jan 10, 20124 min read

Gift Bags for the Red Lights

It happened again last week. As I was approaching a red light after exiting the expressway, I saw the man sitting on the side of the...

Dec 27, 20113 min read

Receiving

I got everything I wanted for Christmas and a few things that weren’t on my list. Life is like that. We receive it all and realize that...

Dec 13, 20113 min read

Advent Week Three: Be Still

I grew up hating conflict until I got to college and found my voice. I blame my conflict avoidance as a kid on my status as an only...

Dec 5, 20113 min read

Advent Week Two: Born for This

I forced Erin to take piano lessons for a very good reason: because my mother forced me. In the course of her compulsory years at the...

Nov 27, 20113 min read

Advent Week One: The Manger Scene

When Alison was in her first Christmas pageant she was chosen to portray the mute and blessed Mary. I was so proud my daughter had landed...