Putting Away the Nice Girl

For about ten years, I’ve cried whenever I see an image of a child who is clearly hungry, impoverished, or abandoned. I was baffled because my tears are usually connected to something obvious. I began a journey of asking God to show me what was going on in my own heart. Random memories began to slowly emerge. [...]

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Celebration of Hope – Day Five

Just one more meal of beans and rice to go. As promised, I want to share some of what I noticed this week. I was a bit surprised. While my desire and prayer this week was to better identify with the hungry, I am left feeling even farther from entering their truth. I’m not sure [...]

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A Memory Regifted

“Come in! It’s freezing out there…… WHO ARE YOU?” “I’m Eleanor Borneman’s daughter…….Linda.” “Well, for goodness sakes. That you are. Let me look at you.” (She still says, ‘Well for goodness sakes.’ And she let me in without knowing who I was? Yes, this is the Marian Toftoy I remember!) With a simple turn of my [...]

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The Lone Daisy

It is 6:30am on November 2nd. I haven’t seen the first rays of sunlight. That is fine with me. I absolutely love the darkened quiet of early mornings. The beauty of the autumn is that the sun lingers a bit longer behind the eastern horizon and the day begins more slowly. If it were summer, [...]

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Ready for the Finish Line?

The 2010 Chicago Marathon season is over. After weeks of training, tens of thousands of runners crossed the finish line. On race day, they followed a well-planned and well-marked route. They probably heard the fans cheering even as they fell into bed that night. Sprinkled throughout the crowd were volunteers to hand them water to sustain them.  Emergency [...]

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If Not Now, When???

Wednesdays. 9:00 AM. Eleven years. Debralyn’s piano lessons time slot. Clockwork. Or it was. Fortunately, I had the sense two years ago to realize that her piano lessons would one day end. I had the sense to realize that her live piano music would not always be floating through my home. I had the sense to realize [...]

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Extraordinarily Ordinary

 We’ve all carried around a little brown paper bag. Whether we have packed a lunch for school or work, we know what they look  like. They usually contain the ordinary bologna and cheese sandwich with an apple or potato chips. Predictable.  Ordinary. Overlooked. We’ve all seen a room filled with people. Whether they are children awaiting a class [...]

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My Mother’s Day “Little Big” Things

Gratefulness fills my heart as I think about celebrating my 22nd Mother’s Day this weekend. I always wanted to be a mom and have taken that priviledge quite seriously. I love to study my children…be with my children…and celebrate the nuggets of who they are becoming. I have been the lucky one as I sat in [...]

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SIX STEPS TO SABBATH SIMPLICITY by Keri Wyatt Kent

 In the midst of my to-do lists with two graduations and one wedding next month, I was grateful when Keri offered to share some of her thoughts on Sabbath Simplicity with me and my readers. Whether you are busy now or not, most likely a day will come where you feel overwhelmed. Practicing the Sabbath, [...]

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Pennies from Heaven

I am learning how to see pennies differently these days thanks to author Annie Dillard. In her book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, she described a season in her early childhood when she took great delight in taking her own precious pennies and hiding them for someone else to find. She admitted that she always “hid” [...]

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