On the blessing of pets (among other things)

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My husband was a hard man, an oft contradictory man, a man who today would say yes to this and tomorrow say the same thing was wrong. I’m not saying this to be cruel or judgmental, it’s just true. For many years, my husband refused to allow our children to have a pet of any kind. Then he found a friend who was breeding Dachshunds. In no time at all, we had a Dachshund. A very difficult Dachshund, one of the most unpleasant dogs I’ve ever loved. Years passed. He said no again and again to the children’s request for …

Lunch at MacDonald’s and reflections on my 58th birthday

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My son and daughter took me out to MacDonald’s for my birthday–where I had a unsweetened tea, a couple of their regular hamburgers, fries, and a strawberry pie. It was more than I deserved, more than we could really afford, but a lot of fun. I actually like their burgers and strawberry pie and this was a treat, one that I really hadn’t expected. With things being as tight as they are, I hadn’t expected to go anywhere. I just turned 58 and my life looks nothing like I once expected it to by now. But you know what? It’s …

Sometimes, in the midst of trials, God sends unexpected blessings

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A week ago, my family was sick, my old $20 freezer had died and my *new* donated freezer was unfreezing unexpectedly and staying defrosted causing me to lose food, my washer died, three doors had slammed unexpectedly in my face, and I had bills I couldn’t conceive of being able to pay. And that was scratching the surface of our difficulties. Sometimes, in the midst of trials, God sends unexpected blessings. A man from our church bought us a washing machine. Not an old 2nd hand one but a brand spanking new one from Home Depot. A really good one. …

Life With Chronic Illness And The Blessings Therein

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Illness is something as natural to me as breathing. Or struggling to breathe. I’ve spent my life on the far side of wellness. I was, by all accounts, born healthy but this changed just four months later when I came down with a high fever. My father, a drunken abusive man, decided for whatever reason that he wasn’t going to allow Mama to take me to the doctor. And he didn’t, not for days. Daddy controlled the car, the keys, the wallet, and she had no phone. There were no neighbors to help. She was trapped and alone. So she …

When Mother’s Day hurts

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Happy Mother’s Day carries with it different connotations for some mothers than it does for others. For those with children in heaven–whether they saw the light of day or died in the darkness of the womb–Mother’s Day is a bittersweet celebration. Same for those mothers with good memories of their little ones who grew into bigger ones who never call nor come. Or the mothers of prodigals of the faith once delivered. They love you, perhaps they are still around, perhaps not, but they’ve turned their backs on the One whom you love the most. For Mamas who were abused …