Linking up with Kate Motaung and Five Minute Friday.  Where writers are able to write for five minutes, from the heart, on the same prompt.  No editing, no over-thinking, just writing.  Friday's prompt - Send.Like farmers in the midst of a terrible drought, we cry out to God to send us grace, send us mercy, send us love, send us peace.  We groan from the weight of the grief, of the stress, even of the mundane.  We need refreshment.  We need strength and joy and hope.  The good news is that He ... read more

I love new. New years, new books, new purses, new crayons, new chances. I love the prospect that this time could be better and brighter. Happier and fuller. I love the idea that maybe the best really is yet to come and that quite possibly I am embarking on just that journey. Yes, I  am keenly aware of the opposite end of the spectrum. I have a deep understanding of failure and grief and darkness. So it is not in denial of those realities that I choose to embrace hope. It is because my hope is ... read more

Sharp edges of furniture are very painful. Especially when you hit them with your head. I don't recommend it. The team of teachers that I am blessed to work with are nothing short of superheroes. If you have ever altered your plans at the very last minute, added between 6 and 12 extra students to your already full classroom, on the day before a break begins, with no time to prep, then you have an idea. If not, just trust me - it is a feat worthy of the title superhero. Working with people who ... read more

So very much is determined by focus.  Deep blue waves, framed by a beach of golden sand, and a sunset of vivid pinks and oranges are missed because the focus is on the lone pigeon walking on the beach.  Majestic mountains, crowned with snow, and covered with deep green pine trees and crisp yellow aspen trees become a blurry mess because the focus on the camera was set wrong.  An alley strewn with trash and surrounded by abandoned buildings is made beautiful because the focus is on the child who ... read more