That bright Saturday morning, with my daughter Erika, and her two sons, Andrew and Caleb, ages 8 and 9, we took that challenging hike. We'd scrambled up the 4500 feet to the top, walked across the flat, green meadow that was like a table.
My mother wrote of a time in northeastern Montana where she and my uncle were caught in a terrible blizzard, walking home from school.
Is there someone who could use some encouragement or thanks right now? The time is now.
The morning light is arriving sooner each morning. I like waking up to light. As I look outside my office window, I see a large willow tree. It seems to be reaching to the sky. Soon, each of those tiny branches will be filled with green tiny leaves. There's a pussy willow along my [...]
Today and the days to come are unsteady and unpredictable. We don't know the future.
Steigerwald Lake Sometimes I don't see what's around me. I'm a hiker and have forged a lot of trails in my lifetime. I enjoy pushing myself up and up the winding paths to the top of some hike. It's a challenge to me as my chest wants more air. I'm focusing so hard [...]
I was paging through a book of quotes the other day when one struck my fancy. It was a French proverb: Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age. I gulped when I read that, shook my head, and agreed! My wise mother said more than once "It's the [...]
I love the warbling of the birds, the chatter and scolding of the chipmunks, and often the sound of the creek nearby. And yes, I hum that song….my green cathedral. It’s really almost worshipful to me and I do thank God for His beautiful creation each time I’m out there.
I love waking up to them and hearing them chatter as we walk. I’ll never forget this robin, pecking at the window. He was an encouragement to me when I was broken with grief. He visited me for about a week, like he was peering in, to see if I was all right.
We don’t miss opportunities to tell one another we love each other. We nearly always kiss goodbye when the other one goes on an errand. We don’t leave apologies unsaid. We’ve learned how quickly things can change and we may not have another chance.
