life
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10 things I loved when I was 10 I’ll enjoy even at 100
1. Anything mango 2. Anything chocolate 3. Furry little non-shedding things that go “woof” (and not meow) 4. A good laugh 5. Colored pencils and a coloring book 6. Sassy, snarky comments 7. Clean, crisp white sheets 8. Balloons 9. Train rides 10. The Reader’s Digest Read more
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dung and stars
Before moving to Nepal, I did my research. Lonely Planet, the Internet, and an uncle who had lived here. But my information sources obviously did not prepare me enough. As I stepped out of the airplane, the smell hit me, almost knocking me over—the warm, pungent combination of diesel fumes, animal dung, and human sweat. Read more
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uncle solomon
He hibernated in our home, sleeping till noon and waking up groggy and strange. He never spoke until he brushed his teeth, so he’d murmur and mutter, shake and nod, until he did. Why he waited for precisely an hour, I don’t know. But then everyone stopped trying to figure out Uncle Solomon a long Read more
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rocked to sleep on the bay
There’s noise everywhere: Around me are disgruntled people, in my head are reminders of many things that need to be done, in my heart are thoughts, anxious and angry. All together, it’s noise that disturbs me, that longs for just a moment of peace. And I think back, stretching my memory, to remember the last Read more
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consequences of wallowing
“. . . They didn’t even hear him–they were that beaten down in spirit.” (Exodus 6:10, The Message) The last few verses of Exodus 4 paint a perfect people–Moses and Aaron have gathered all the leaders and all the people. They tell them of the wondrous things God is doing for them. Everyone listens; everyone Read more
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life is like a bicycle
This is for MC . . . Albert Einstein had a son who struggled with mental illness. Imagine that. Here was a genius, a man with so much to his name and fame, someone everyone looked to for solutions to problems. Yet he couldn’t fix life for his son. In a letter to his son, Read more
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a friend’s reassurance
I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121: 1, 2 Guy #1 is in one of life’s harsh predicaments. Feeling desperate, he’s waiting for God to fix things. Thus begins Psalm 121. But Guy #1 Read more
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when people let you down
But the head cupbearer never gave Joseph another thought. Genesis 40:23 When I moved here, she went out of her way to befriend me. Over the next two years it seemed like she was always there to support me in my little battles. But when the big one came armed with heavy arsenal that shot Read more
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when there are no explanations
My parents are 70, my mother-in-law 80. And I’ve prepared myself to face the inevitable one day. One day, I’ll have to let go, say goodbye, and give praise for their lives and the ways they’ve made a difference in mine. So, yeah, I’ve been sort of prepping myself. But I hadn’t prepared myself for Read more
SAYS FYL 