Losing Him in the Crowd
It feels like standing in a thick cloud of woodsmoke. I gasp and choke, trying to find air but there’s not enough oxygen. My heart races, my thoughts become mixed and jumbled, and I become overwhelmed with a strong need…
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Leave It, Leave It All Behind
I bopped the door shut with my hip, balancing a small tower of casserole, pie, berries, and a card as I looked up at the large, stylish home in front of me. A bit of rust fell from the side…
Who and Whose
My great-great-grandmother feeds a donkey with a large glass bottle in a photograph. She stands in front of a fence, a breeze from behind billowing her long, dark dress. Her round face smiles under her tidy top knot bun, and…
Misunderstandings, Mercy, and the Heart of Jesus
We sat together at our assigned table, sharing stories to build that specific kind of intimacy that grows between strangers on retreat weekends. One woman, a psychologist, shared about a different retreat she had been part of, one for Catholics…
Crosses, Laughter, and Esther
The Saint Luke’s Pray and Play Group includes young moms, empty nesters, and grandmas. We drink coffee, pass out Goldfish crackers, and pray, laugh, and cry together. Besides the time of the global pandemic, I have attended for over ten…
Shaped After God or Me?
In college I studied literary theory and learned how to read texts through various lenses. Each lens had the power to change the story’s themes and the relationships between characters. While I no longer use literary theory when I read…
These Life-Giving Lessons
It was a small town Friday night football game, and the stadium was packed. The crowds sang along as the marching band played the school song, their noses peeking out under stocking caps and above fleece blankets. I stood alone,…
What’s He Revealing to You?
We walked in silence except for the rustling of heavy skirts. The chapel lights were dim with candles adding extra soft light. We genuflected and entered the pews; prayer books were given to us and directions were whispered. It was…
Blessed Chats: Grief // Flowers from My Mother
Welcome to our Blessed Chats series! Each month, we will dedicate an entire week of blog posts to a topic that affects many of us. These conversations often come up in our Facebook groups and in our real life friendships….
Sweats, Surprises, and Getting Ready for Jesus
I pulled on my sweats and gathered my laptop, planner, and water bottle. It was the end of a long day so I wanted to be comfy, but I was running a bit late for a meeting with some friends…
I’m the One Who Needed Healing
For years I prayed for healing for my son. God had already granted him one miracle, by bringing him back to life after being pulseless for sixty-one minutes, but my son still had quirks: speech issues, difficulty in school, anxiety,…
Fight Back Against the Lies and Doubt
The afternoon sun collaborated with the stained glass windows, throwing color across the wooden pew that I slipped into. I knelt and stared at the tabernacle. After a long silence, I said aloud the thought that was racing through my…
