Here is the third letter in the Letters from the Heart blog series! We have several more letters to go, and you will hear from some new voices in the coming weeks. The letters are tender and inspiring, and I hope you’ll come back every Monday to read each installment! I had the fortune/misfortune of…… Continue reading Dear Daughter, Live in the Middle
Gah. This letter still makes me cry. I wrote it years ago when my oldest was approaching high school graduation. We used to meet once a week to have lunch to talk about the days ahead and anything else I was afraid I may have forgotten to teach him. More than all of that, I…… Continue reading Dear Son, You Have My Permission
Proper table settings make me nervous. While I distinctly remember the lesson in Brownies, I also remember panic moving in simultaneously. Did the spoon and knife go together? Where did the napkin belong? What if I didn’t get the place setting right? I promise I’m not exaggerating. Setting the table sends me googling and worrying…… Continue reading Moment of Truth Monday
In the early 90’s, there was a bumper sticker popular among concert crowds. It contained three words with one direct message. Mean people suck. At first glance, I kind of liked it. I could get behind an anti-mean movement. When I gave the statement a little more thought, I wrestled with the contradiction. Saying mean…… Continue reading Moment of Truth Monday
One of my favorite past times is listening to stories. I like the stories that send you in a laughing frenzy and those of heroic adventure, but I’m most drawn to those I’m entrusted with, who find a space at my table. The tenderness in their voice always draws me in a little closer as…… Continue reading The Lost Art of Telling Stories
I’ve been studying prayer this month. It’s been both encouraging and challenging all at once. When I took some time to examine my motives and habits in prayer, I realized it’s not uncommon for me to just present requests for my needs. Then this poem, not my usual style of writing, emerged from a parallel…… Continue reading Blurred Lines {Not the Song!}
John 4 captures one of my favorite interactions in the Bible. If you’ve never read it, I urge you to invest a few minutes and do so. The story centers around the town well and includes Jesus and a woman from Samaria. Historically speaking, Jesus {because he was a Jew} should not have had anything…… Continue reading Leave Your Water Jar
The question itself wasn’t bad. But, the afternoon interrogation-which included a single question {presented in varying ways} repeated over and over-was exhausting. He must have asked me 100 times about the old cell phone collection in our hutch. He wanted one of them for his own personal use. I attempted to explain {each time} that there was…… Continue reading In Persistent Pursuit
The rodeo–always a fun {slightly concerning} family affair. On a recent trip, while watching the mutton busting, cue obnoxious cheering that embarrassed our teenagers {parent win}, and shamelessly adoring the little darlings holding on for dear life–I couldn’t help but notice the sheep {already ridden} congregating in a corner of the large arena. It was fascinating and…… Continue reading Ears to Hear and the Will to Follow
With great expectation he asked and believed that his mother was listening. When we arrived at his birthday party, he enthusiastically pointed out one package and told me he knew what it was. “How?” I asked him. His response was simple…“Because I showed my mom what I wanted and it was this shape!” His words…… Continue reading Close Enough to Ask
Alyssa DeLosSantos 