family

All That’s Lost Will Be Restored

I said good-bye to one of my dearest friends, my Grandma, yesterday. As she became more ill and I knew the end was drawing near, I was painting this piece: trying to process grief and also my great hope and faith that, even though the end of her life on earth would come, we will…Read more All That’s Lost Will Be Restored

Open Adoption – a Photo Essay

Everleigh entered this world on August 14, 2016, welcomed by birth mother, Delaney; birth father, Kenny; and birth grandmother, Karen. On August 17, Everleigh went home in the arms of adoptive parents, Casey and Michael. Nine months later....   with special thanks to Hope's Promise (Adoption Agency) of Castle Rock, CO. (303) 660-0277.

In the Cracks

Astonished, I found Him, the Beautiful One, deep in a cranny of Mathare Valley, Kenya - the same One I glimpsed in the fissure of a Mother Teresa's home in Huruma, as I share below. It's enough to make my head spin - apparently, at least according to what my senses report, my body landed…Read more In the Cracks

Why do slums exist in Kenya?

One of the greatest joys of my recent trip to Kenya was sharing the experience with two of my children, Justin age 17 and Jacob age 20. I tried to capture some of the wonder I felt in a previous blog entry: Meeting Myself There. Because of Justin's most unexpected surgery, Tommy John to repair…Read more Why do slums exist in Kenya?

Loving You Still (Always)

  I lie flat on my back in rustling shade, gazing at the wide-eyed blue eye of forever, clear as far as I can see. Then sneaking into the outer rim of my vision, billows of twirling whirligigs, shrouding the afternoon sun. I sit up, surprised, as myriad ripple across the sky, like laughter. The…Read more Loving You Still (Always)

Always (Love Never Ends)

  It's been about five years since my Dad left this earth. His departure shocked me and shook me to the core of my being. Of kindred spirits, he was one of the closest. The current of mutual adoration running between us was so abruptly cut off, I was left disoriented and blind, suddenly lost…Read more Always (Love Never Ends)

True Love

I attended a fairy tale wedding a few days ago. Two people aflame with the glory of true love... a blaze I am confident will carry them through the next fifty years. Witnessing the ceremony, the world seemed full of possibility, aching for all that is good and true. These two, I am sure, should the Lord…Read more True Love

My Beloved Mom (& Mother’s Day Gift Ideas)

In 2007, I stood on the banks of the Nile River with my mother. It was a magic life moment that came to symbolize so much of my admiration for her. She is one of the bravest people I know. I wrote about the experience in this post: A Beautiful River in Uganda, excerpt below: "It…Read more My Beloved Mom (& Mother’s Day Gift Ideas)

Hope In Fearful Times

Flags fly at half-mast in my lifelong hometown, Colorado Springs after two mass shootings in a month. I drive almost every day through the intersection where my family almost stumbled into a late October shooting; and yesterday I forced myself to return to a shopping area we usually frequent, ravaged less than a week ago by another shooting. And…Read more Hope In Fearful Times

“A Beautiful Exchange”

I'm honored and proud to introduce you to my friend, author Megan Nilsen. If you've been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I am passionate about adoption. Adopting two of my children from Kenya forever changed me and my art. To quote artist Makoto Fujimura, "We often think of great artists, musicians,…Read more “A Beautiful Exchange”