How was your week? Here's a rundown of mine, some recommended memoirs, and a story about work and rest.
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(An excerpt from LENT through the LITTLE THINGS by Linda Hanstra)
The older I get, the more I find myself searching for things.
“Where did I put that jacket?”
“Why aren’t my keys in my purse?”
And the most common: “What happened to my phone?”
I now have a solution!
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Our annual "Christmas Letter" (a.k.a. Year in Review) is brought to you by the blizzard of 2022. When blizzard warnings, bomb cyclones, and plane delays/cancellations foil Christmas plans, there is still one thing you can count on.
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Like a teaspoon of salt can flavor a whole pot, trying one idea will lead to more. Soon you’ll be inventing your own zesty ideas. Are you ready to stir things up? Let’s go!
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Is your empty nest dull and bland? Are you looking for ways to spice things up? There are countless ways to add zest to your nest and I’ll share 20 of them in this post and the next! These are activities you can do alone, with your spouse, your family, or your friends!
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How do you handle your big milestone birthdays? Are they days to be concealed or celebrated? As I approached another “big one”, an unexpected surprise on the shores of Lake Michigan along with childhood memories, brought inspiration and peace.
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While I had some ideas for how I’d spend my time in retirement, I looked forward to a blank slate. I figured once my days were free, I could explore the endless possibilities and decide which ones to pursue.
Unbeknownst to me, God had already drawn up some big plans and I was about to receive a message on that empty slate.
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Are you making way for ducklings in your nest? Is your college kid returning home for the first time and you don’t know what to expect? Do you have a “boomerang” flying at you and you’re not sure how to catch it?
Here are five tips to help you avoid potential pitfalls and conflicts, forge lasting relationships, and discover the benefit of the “Boomerang Bonus”.
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Our theme song for the week has been, “And another one gone, and another one gone. Another one bites the dust!”
The four of us are isolating together, much like we did two years ago on Easter Sunday, when both of our girls were sent home from college in March 2020. Our bucket-list vacation followed by a five days of COVID isolation during the holiest week of the year, has spurred reflections on our ever-changing Easter traditions, and the ever-constant reason we celebrate.
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Next winter, when I’m retired from my school job, every day will be like a snow day! I can sleep in. Take a long bath. Read lots of books. Watch lots of shows. And even though I might deserve a life of leisure after 35 years as a speech-language pathologist, I’m already a bit uneasy about the prospect of that much downtime.
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To every season, there is a thing (or two, or three…).
Before we get too far into 2022, it’s time for my year-end review of 2021. To recount the difficult things we’ve survived. To remember the good things we’ve enjoyed. But mostly, to give thanks for all the things.
Here are All the Things of 2021, as they unfolded for our family, season by season.
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The process of “self-improvement” is similar to my current “home-improvement”. The steps taken and struggles encountered in making over any aspect of our lives can be an all-consuming journey. But if we follow through with the project, the end result is so satisfying!
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Now that we’re older (and hopefully wiser), let’s reset our view. God’s Word is a great place to start, as the Bible is full of inspiration and instructions to keep our focus on “things above”. Here are six ways the Bible reminds us to look up–to find joy and hope–regardless of our age.
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Like the typical stance on my road bike, looking down at one’s wheel on the road or your feet on the path steals the glimpses of beauty that surround you. And yet, many aspects of aging do cause our eyes to look down. Our bodies’ depreciation keeps us focussed on ourselves and our problems.
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It struck me how closely joy and grief resided in my heart. I’m not sure why it surprised me, as those two emotions have been playing tug-o’-war in human hearts for as long as human hearts have had feelings. And the battle continues.
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When we consider anniversaries, we may not all be lucky enough to make it to 64 years. Whether we hit ten years, the silver 25, the ordinary 33, or the golden 50, our next anniversary together is never guaranteed. And so we celebrate while we can.
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Mom’s heart of love pulled us in. As her memory and skills faded, as grief over the loss of Dad enveloped her, and as her body failed her, she never focused on herself or her suffering. Instead, she brought us together. We came to care for her, to protect her, and to love on her, as she had always done for us.
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I can still picture it. We’re on a plane and I have the window seat. After hours over the Atlantic Ocean, the landscape that appears below is the prettiest shade of green. Of course it is. After all, it’s called the “Emerald Isle”. Our dream trip to Ireland is about to begin.
Except that it doesn’t.
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