September. Back to school. My first experience with school was when I was five. There was no kindergarten where we lived, and so my mom, being my mom and the mother of seven children, pushed to have me put in grade one. As a result, I found myself on a hard, cold seat in a … Continue reading Schoolyard Angst
I was struggling, and sleep eluded me. My mind was whirling with the scenario on repeat in my brain. My insides were in knots, and a heaviness sat on my chest. I felt misunderstood, hurt, and unloved. Sinful thoughts and desires rose up in my heart for self-glory and justification. I knew my thoughts and … Continue reading Perfect Power
Are you a wallflower that longs to be more? Is God calling you to be a wallflower who steps out in faith? Are you willing to be the flower that God has called you to be, designed you to be, a greenhouse flower? Most of my life I have lived as a wallflower and still … Continue reading Wallflower or Showpiece?
Eagerly, I climbed to the top of our station wagon roof, placing the item my stepfather had given me in a secure spot. Hot sun shone down, but the metal felt comfortably warm against my skin. Giddiness bubbled up inside me as I gazed around at the green trees gently tossed by the breeze and … Continue reading Adventure or Danger?
My husband and I recently had the privilege to go on an Alaskan cruise. Our ship churned its way over mind-boggling, vast, and deep expanses of ocean water. Whales forty feet long and forty tons in weight swam nearby, looking small in comparison. A seemingly endless array of mountains of varying heights lined the coast … Continue reading A Sea of Faces
A few weeks ago, I wrote about envisioning and touching a homeless person. Imagine with me, meeting a homeless man or woman. Their hair is matted and filthy. Lice are crawling through it and onto their forehead. Their clothes smell of feces and urine. Sores are evident on their grime-covered skin and you are sure … Continue reading Transference 2
Movement caught my eye among the sticks and leaves nestled high up in the crook of our large Linden tree. Squirrels had built the nest, and I expected to see a black bushy tail twitching about. One emerged, but it had white stripes on it. Confused, I blinked several times. “I think that’s a raccoon!” … Continue reading Invaders
Imagine with me, meeting a homeless man or woman. Matted, filthy hair covers their head. Lice are crawling through it and onto their forehead. The odour of feces and urine emanates from their tattered clothing. Open, oozing sores are evident on their grime-covered skin and you are sure they carry something contagious. Flies crawl across … Continue reading Transference
Have you ever had someone forget your name? A friend of ours, when we first knew each other, was talking to his wife and couldn’t remember my name. Fumbling to remember it, he called me Tatiana. None of us know where it came from, but it stuck, and to this day, that is what they … Continue reading What’s in a Name?
Have you felt betrayed, left behind, forgotten and neglected? Sometimes we have. Or did the person we love make a choice when they weren’t thinking clearly? Did they forget to stop and think of us or not know we cared? Whatever the reason, our feelings take over our brains, and we entertain all kinds of … Continue reading Is There a Chink in Your Armour?