Advent (First Wednesday)
I can no longer remember how I first found Tresta Payne's blog, but I know I have appreciated her quiet, wise stories for a long time. We've never met, and our homes are separated by too many miles, but what I glimpse in her stories is a vision of a life well lived. I don't mean that her life seems perfect or even that she seems perfect. Only...
Advent (First Monday)
Kelli Woodford is a kindred spirit. I was sure of that after reading only a few of her online writings, but it was confirmed when we met in person at the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College last spring. Her beautiful words pop up all over the internet, but you can be sure to find her blogging regularly at Chronicles of Grace. * *...
Advent (First Sunday)
Our first serious snowfall arrived the day before Thanksgiving. The day began with rain. I left the house early to meet a friend for coffee and prayer, and the rain was already running in rivers. They said the rain would turn to snow mid-morning, yet that is a miracle I am always reluctant to believe without seeing. They were right. At ten in...
A Killing Freeze
I know that the killing freeze arrived later this year because I checked last year’s date in my journal. I understand that the cold air pouring in even as I type is, if anything, overdue, and yet I wish it had held off longer still. Winter approaches, and I find myself afraid. Most of the maple leaves have fallen, but the trees still wear a...
These Farmhouse Bookshelves
We had our first hard freeze of the season last night. This morning, the sky is a deeper blue than I have seen in quite some time. The sky seems to respond well to freezing temperatures, as if making up for the dreariness of the earth. Though the dreariness will only come later. Right now the leaves on the ground are traced in frost, and the...
Because We Have Already Died (A Reflection on the Eve of Halloween)
My friend looks up toward the trees and says I had forgotten how graceful dying can sometimes be. I follow her glance and know that she is right. I, too, have forgotten. I remember autumn through snapshots. Which means, I remember the brilliance of that one sugar maple down the road. Or, I remember the startling red of a Burning Bush shrub...