Category Archives: Devotionals

“Mom, did you read this?” asked my middle daughter, indignation edging her voice. I looked up and into the eyes of my oldest daughter, her ice blue eyes swimming in tears, and set down my tea. Seconds later, my youngest … Continue reading →

“Here!” I grumbled to my husband as he hovered over my shoulder. “I’ll just stop what I’m doing so you can have my computer. I’ll go take a shower.” “That is not love,” I gently, plainly heard in my soul … Continue reading →

Late Thursday afternoon the phone rang. I grabbed the receiver and continued with dinner preparations. “Hello?” “Hi, Cindee? This is Lisa. I have the reports from Sam’s last round of tests. Sorry it took so long, but we had to … Continue reading →

“Mom,” my daughter quietly approached, “I think I left my iPod on the bumper of the van.” “When?” “Before piano,” she replied almost inaudibly. “That was two hours ago,” I thought. Sarah’s iPod had been a long-awaited birthday/Christmas gift from … Continue reading →

On the heels of some not quite what I’d hoped for medical results, a friend emailed, “Oh! It must be so hard to wait.” My answer surprised me. But it’s not, I thought. I prefer the waiting to the knowing. … Continue reading →

Angry emails have been sailing across my computer screen for the past few days and as I’ve read and re-read each one, responding to none, I’ve been overwhelmed by the intense, raw emotion piercing the words – a deep, smoldering … Continue reading →

I don’t want to be “the Mom” today – the adult, the decision-maker, the one in charge, the one with calm and reassuring answers to fear-filled questions, the one who must rise this morning to face the aftermath of seven … Continue reading →

“So what’s your parenting secret?” a friend asked over coffee one morning. “My parenting secret?” “Yeah. You’re raising such great kids. What’s your secret?” “Oh, it’s not a secret. It’s God,” I answered. “OK,” she replied, “but there has to … Continue reading →

“How are you feeling?” my husband asked. “Not so good,” I admitted, “but I did it to myself.” Wisely, my husband didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. We both knew I’d overcommitted and today’s pain was the price. … Continue reading →

It was late Tuesday afternoon. My son Sam and I were driving home from Children’s Hospital. Traffic was heavy and although the radio was on, I wasn’t listening. Sam was. “It’s true, you know,” he said. “What’s true?” “That ‘you … Continue reading →

I awoke to quiet voices in the kitchen. My husband and middle daughter were heading out for an early morning walk and I sent them off with a kiss. They returned as I was finishing up my morning exercises, and … Continue reading →

Early Saturday afternoon as I sat in the hospital cafeteria with a friend, she offered her help in myriad ways – meals, kids (girls, boys, overnight, just days, her house, my house), etc., etc., and while I truly appreciated her … Continue reading →

Early one spring morning, my daughter Sarah noticed our neighbor at work in his garden. “Mom,” she asked, “Can I go help?” “Absolutely,” I answered. Sarah, my oldest daughter and exact middle child (two older brothers, two younger sisters), is … Continue reading →

Before sunrise, while the moon still lingered in the sky, I carried a surprise breakfast basket across the court and placed it beneath our neighbors’ mailbox. It was the dawn of their 50th anniversary, a day deserving of celebration from … Continue reading →

There is joy in acceptance, peace in trusting implicitly. I’ve experienced it. So why the hesitation this time?
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“Oh!” I thought, suddenly surprised. “This isn’t just about my daughter, is it, Lord? It’s about me too, about my lack of self control – about all the times I still grumble under my breath and lose my patience, about the times I still expect things from others that only You can provide, about all the times I fail to listen, forget to pray, and refuse to apologize first, even when I know it’s what You desire from me. Continue reading →

What a week! We were heart-deep in family strife. Relationships between my husband’s brothers were strained, spilling years of anger and frustration into other relationships and affecting a recent holiday gathering, leaving my teenage sons reeling. One daughter was still … Continue reading →

She held his hand like she never wanted to let him go.” Those words replayed over and over in my mind as I cut the grass on a cool, overcast Tuesday morning. Unusual words from my husband, and they caused … Continue reading →

Angry words erupted suddenly from our backyard, and by the time I made it to the door, my youngest daughter was off and running. I found her riding her bike around the court unsuccessfully trying to vent her anger, and … Continue reading →

A few months ago, my cousin called asking me not to leave home, drive the van, go to the store, or use power tools. In short, to protect myself from everything harmful, and I suddenly began to laugh – until … Continue reading →