Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Despite difficult relationships, unusual circumstances, and unruly emotions, the season offers a renewed sense of hope and wonder. There is a mix of mystery and whimsy that begins budding and stirring before the Thanksgiving meal ends. I delight in remembering the time at my grandparent’s house when…… Continue reading Christmas: A Mix of Wonder and Sorrow
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. Despite difficult relationships, circumstances, and emotions, the season offers a renewed sense of hope and wonder. There is a mix of mystery and whimsy that begins budding and stirs memories as soon as the Thanksgiving meal ends. I delight in remembering the time at my grandparent’s house…… Continue reading Moment of Truth Monday
As the clicking drew closer, anticipation birthed equal parts excitement and anxiety in me. This was the day the principal would announce the Student of the Month. My six-year-old self launched into earnest prayer because there was nothing I wanted more than that award. With fingers crossed, eyes closed, and an inaudible plea {please let it be me, God},…… Continue reading Crossing My Fingers Taught Me This
I have been tinkering around with this Moment of Truth Monday concept for a few weeks. I’ve posted these little blurbs on my personal Facebook page, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. The little excerpts of truth, really just honest expressions from my little heart, seem to resonate with my friends. For that reason, I thought maybe I’d…… Continue reading Moment of Truth Monday
Sitting alone and crying was my new normal. Grappling with my “status” consumed me and I didn’t like any of it. Of all the hard things in my life, this was definitely the worst. Divorce was not unfamiliar, but it knocked the wind out of me when it became my descriptor. My silent hopes and dreams fell…… Continue reading Shipwrecked by Status
Today we gathered around, opened the ancient holy writ, and leaned in close. There’s no way to plan for these moments because there is no telling what will populate as we begin sharing our insights and experiences. Today was no different. As we began a bible study homework discussion, we somehow managed to find…… Continue reading Current Tensions and {Potentially} Sticky Conversations
I don’t know about you, but I am quick to qualify and disqualify myself in many arenas. If I think I know more on a subject, I’m eligible to speak. If my thoughts are shaky on a subject, I’m more likely to shrink back. I have sidelined myself more times than I care to admit…… Continue reading Are you Eligible?
The rains have been as consistent as the rising and the setting of the sun {even if not visible in this region this week}. Sitting down for quiet time, raindrops pelting the window lulled me with their consistent rhythm. I entertained a few thoughts about when the rain would end, and the possibility of needing…… Continue reading An Angel, a Promise, and a Long Awaited Answer
I stood at the stove cooking bacon when a familiar rattle interrupted my thoughts. I had thrown my coverlet in the washer just a few minutes prior to firing up the stove, and the sound alerted me to something I knew to be a real possibility when washing the over-sized blanket. The screen on…… Continue reading When Life Feels Like an Unbalanced Load
He waited by a healing pool. He had been lame for 38 years. Scripture tells us that when Jesus saw him and knew how long he had been ill, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” At first glance the question seems driven by sarcasm. Of course he would want healing, right? Maybe…… Continue reading A Valid Question
Alyssa DeLosSantos 