Adjacent to the parking lot of our condominium building, sat a clump of pine trees with fine, green needles and dripping sap. The landscapers planted the trees in such a way that, once grown, they formed a canopy above a small, oval opening. If one looked hard enough, and squinted against the ... Read More about Naming the Longing
The Holy Oak: A Story of Rootedness and Community
Our town was built around a single tree. The Holy Oak stands in the cemetery of the Presbyterian Church in the center of town. It is the oldest white oak in America, and it has presided over this patch of land for almost six hundred years. The Holy Oak has watched centuries of life unfold, from ... Read More about The Holy Oak: A Story of Rootedness and Community
How to Live with Contradictions: Embrace October
"All things on earth point home in old October; sailors to sea, travellers to walls and fences, hunters to field and hollow and the long voice of the hounds, the lover to the love he has forsaken." ~Thomas Wolfe It took me forty years to unearth this truth: Everything I hunger for is satisfied by ... Read More about How to Live with Contradictions: Embrace October
Hiding in Plain Sight
A ring of keys swung from her hip, and I could hear her clinking down the hall long before she came into view. Her name was Ida, and she was the geriatric security guard employed by my high school to police the front doors. We held opposing goals; mine was to avoid her and all other adults while ... Read More about Hiding in Plain Sight
Falling Free: A Book Giveaway
"Hallelujah, there is no one-mission-fits-all. Heartbreak, loneliness, isolation, and lack aren’t organized by zip code, and he’s begging all of us not to detour around the pain." ~Shannan Martin in Falling Free ***This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for reading! I live in an affluent area, ... Read More about Falling Free: A Book Giveaway
On Transformation and Weakness Made Strong
"Now that I look back, it seems to me that in all that deep darkness a miracle was preparing." ~Marilyn Robinson in Gilead We've easily spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on her smile. First it was the headgear, then pulled teeth, then braces, and retainers, and unbelievably, braces again. I ... Read More about On Transformation and Weakness Made Strong
