Author Archives: wordvessel

Our second son is a brand new six-year-old. So much of this boy is still a mystery to me. At times his thought process seems advanced by three to four years and then other times he is clearly just a … Continue reading →

A year ago today I was in a comfortable labor with my eighth child. I truly did not want to share my birthday with anyone so my main concern that day was taking it easy and not accelerating labor. My … Continue reading →

I am reading the book of Ezra as part of my refreshed devotions for the new year. I find the intricacies of rebuilding the temple fascinating. The difficulties they faced a few thousand years ago are not so unlike the … Continue reading →

Christmastime is extra delightful because our festivities conclude with celebrating a wonderful little girl who makes our family even more special. I remember waiting and wondering and feeling a unique kinship with Mary in the days before this child’s birth. … Continue reading →

Here we are: on the cusp of a brand new year. Saying goodbye to the old year seems especially poignant this time. Perhaps it is because I almost bid it farewell in the spring or perhaps it is because I … Continue reading →

I’m sitting in the coffee shop. Planners, journal, books and coffee keep me company. The new year is so close and she beckons me to set new goals, refresh aspirations and give some endeavors a second (or tenth) try. As … Continue reading →

I’ve been noticing that I don’t like change very much. I take that back. I like to rearrange furniture or organize rooms as a way to relax. The change I don’t like is the unexpected kind or the kind that … Continue reading →

Over the past several years my family and I have had significant experiences happen to us, and this year in particular I’ve found myself calling those experiences to mind when a fresh challenge arises. When I find myself feeling pressed … Continue reading →

Time. It is so temporary and so finite. It can’t be made and it can’t be kept. It is and it passes. I invest my time and then wonder if it was a worthwhile investment. Each moment I am met … Continue reading →

As the Irish poet W.B. Yeats so insightfully wrote, “I sigh as I kiss you, for I must own, how much I will miss you, when, dear, you have grown.” When I look at my stunning 8-year -old, there is … Continue reading →