I was driving with my youngest several months back and while stopped at an intersection, a large truck pulled up next to us with its radio turned up to full volume and its bass vibrating our car. My daughter gave an audible sigh,so I asked her what was wrong. “It’s just too bad they’re not…
Category: BLOG
For Everything There is a Season
I went to college to play basketball and major in music. The two don’t often go hand in hand – sports and music – but I was determined to show the world that a “sporty musician” could exist. Just a few weeks into the semester, I was running down the basketball court and suddenly collapsed…
Shifting Sand
I had a beautiful week with my family at the beach. We’ve gone to the same spot for nearly thirty years, and to be able to bring my own children to a place that holds so many of my childhood memories is nothing less than a treasure. It’s a blessing to get away and enjoy…
A Lesson From Spiderman’s Suit
Our family watched Marvel’s Spiderman: Homecoming the other night. These family movie nights don’t happen often because the older two are usually out and about, and when they are home, there is rarely a movie that everyone can agree upon. So, we end up watching forty-five minutes of trailers, trying to find something suitable, until I…
Turning English Words Into French (And Other Things I Regret)
I taught high-school writing for several years. For most of the time, I loved it. I enjoyed the creative pieces my students came up with, I enjoyed the challenge of getting students excited about the prospect of writing, and I had a peculiar amount of fun yelling at students who would fall asleep: “Show me,…
The Hard Wait
Posted on enCourage I will never forget the first night we were able to leave for the evening without needing a babysitter. While it’s sometimes difficult to watch the kids grow so fast, this part of the maturing process is pretty much awesome…until the phone calls start coming in. The ones that indicate the sibling…
Homesick
As a kid I dealt with being homesick nearly every time I spent the night away from my home. I remember a camp I went to in 5th grade, and I’m pretty sure I was gone for around five days, but in my memory, I’m pretty sure I was gone for around….a year. At least,…
Whatifs
Growing up, we didn’t listen to the radio much. When we drove around in the car with dad, he would regularly turn on one of three CDs: Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, or an audio copy of Shel Silverstein’s poetry book, There’s a Light on in the Attic. To this day I know every…
Do This in Remembrance
Posted on EnCourage PCA Women’s Ministry page (www.encourage.pcacdm.com) In order to take communion, our kids must first become members of the church. My youngest went through the kid’s membership class last year, and when it was over, I asked her if she would like to become a member. “No.” Her answer rolled off her tongue…
The Greatest Comfort
I’ve always been a worrier. Even as a kid, I would get what my dad used to label, “nervous stomachs.” I worried over somewhat “typical” kid fears, things like thunderstorms and the dark. When I got these knots in my stomach, I would try to comfort myself with a special stuffed penguin and the…