I’ve never been known for my spontaneity, but when a dear friend called late December to tell me she and her husband would be caretaking the 100-year-old cabins in Montana that we love…

Mrs. Audrey Nash was my first grade teacher. A stoutly woman with short hair and a kind smile, she created a classroom environment that inspired little minds to learn and grow.

I don’t buy Mother’s Day cards anymore. It’s been over a decade since I made the Sunday trek to my mom’s house, with a nicely-wrapped gift and hand-written card in tow—all the while my heart aching for the

I live in a fairly rural area where getting to the nearest store is almost a 30-minute drive. So whenever I'm in town running errands I make it a point to pick up a few necessary groceries. Today was one of those days.

Life is full of surprises. God delights in giving good gifts to His children—generously, abundantly and sometimes quite unexpectedly.

Having another pandemic year under our belts, I thought it necessary to modify last year's “How the Virus Stole Christmas” to remind us all that what we cherish in our hearts

…Through all the colors and changes of our lives, with the help of God.”

Those were the closing words of the vows my husband and I made to one another forty years ago. We stood, nervously holding hands, dressed in white, at the front of a church, surrounded by family and friends.

Everyone

On the planet

Liked Christmas a lot…

But the coronavirus of 2020

Did NOT!

Until last spring, my dining room table was a slender oak relic I found at a garage sale for fifty dollars. We had refinished it along with its extra leaf and replaced the sliding mechanism underneath.

I am a list-maker. I have lists for most everything in life—a list of addresses, a list of birthdays and anniversaries, a list of shows to watch on Netflix.

It was many years ago in September. Bill and I had just finished building a home in central Minnesota and were about three-and-a-half months from the birth of our first daughter. It was a time for dreaming,

It's been a bit longer than usual between blog posts for me for one very important reason—I’ve been on vacation! My husband and I ventured off, road-tripping and camping our way out west, leaving all but a few cares behind and

My husband and I enjoy taking long road trips together—in part, because it takes us away from our stockpile of obligations at home and in part because it gives us space

This time of year we celebrate motherhood and rightfully honor those in this noble position. Lord knows moms deserve our recognition and gratitude for their unrelenting, devoted love. But for those women who

Greetings to all my socially-distant readers. We are now well into our pandemic coping skills. Most of the shock of our jostled, new lives has worn off and, for the most part, we’ve stopped asking the question, “Is this really happening?”

Easter has always been a reflective time for me—a time when I let the sacrifice of the cross and its compelling love resonate in my thoughts and sink deep into my soul.

A few years back, when my grandchildren were all quite young, we experienced a cold and flu season that seemed relentless. No sooner would one child recover from an infection than the next would be socked with it. This went on for months!

My husband's mom passed away this evening. The last of his parents gone from this earth and into the presence of Jesus. She is home now after 88 years of living life...marrying a man of faith, raising four boys, and cooking for multitudes with a generous heart.