The grief, the loss of what she had hoped for, lapped as relentlessly, as inevitably, as the breakers crashing again and again—minute after minute, day after day. Repeating their reach and retreat for millennia. Tumbling like so much seaweed, all of what-almost-was washed ashore, only to be drug back out again. Over and over.…Read more Of Loss and Hope
One Pebble… Thousands of Ripples
I wrote this entry for the Hope's Promise blog about my dear friends, Brian and Debbie Lee. Decades ago, when I was a twenty-something campus staffworker with InterVarsity, they were leading teams of students to serve in Kenya. One summer they brought back necklace gifts with little hand-carved bone pendants for all the staff. As…Read more One Pebble… Thousands of Ripples
The Deaf Dog Who Heard What Matters
Strange that I would start painting again, after falling off into deep discouragement earlier this year, with Henry as my subject. But Henry was truly special. He was completely deaf. In a household clattering with four active kids, that was a blessing for him. And in a family with special needs kids, his disability endeared…Read more The Deaf Dog Who Heard What Matters
Sheer Gift – the Power of Art
The expectation of spending time with a dear friend and a mission of creativity already promised a portal to magic. Then we stepped inside Jives Coffee Shop in Old Colorado City to the strains of a violin and the glow of warm, golden wood. And I was transported into sheer gift. Nine am on a…Read more Sheer Gift – the Power of Art
When Your Child Leaves Home
The experts say: when your child is moving away from home, don't let your him or her see you cry! Smile with your child; cry with other parents. I tried to follow their advice, I really did. I rarely cry; but one recent day, with two of my sons' departures to out-of-state locations less than…Read more When Your Child Leaves Home
Speak for Those Who Cannot
There was a time in my life when trauma stunned me into silence. I unexpectedly learned about harm perpetrated against someone I love. A friend exposed the truth to me with kindness and sensitivity, but I walked away from the conversation shattered. I told no one even though surrounded by people who cared deeply…Read more Speak for Those Who Cannot
Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
Suddenly sprawling at the foot of the Colorado mountains, the Great Sand Dunes are a gateway to a world simplified into sun, sand, and sky. Into texture, lines, and contrast. A portal into a magical, eerie other-world. A space where the barrenness only accentuates my love for those with whom I wander, swelling higher than…Read more Great Sand Dunes, Colorado
