In my search for a “real” family, God provided three kinds of healing, while I was growing up and even today. Here are my findings:
3 findings in my search for a “real” family
Searching for a “real” family
My red notebook from junior high holds one recurring theme—a wish to go back in time. Sure, it details the requisite girl drama, secret crushes, and bad poetry. But over and over again a lament sounds: “I wish I could be five years old again, when life wasn’t so complicated.” Until I reread this notebook … Read more
Memory stones
What do your memories signify? Are they markers of personal history? Are they ghosts who haunt you? Burdens or joys? My memories are all those things, and something else: My memories are like stones that commemorate meetings with God.
Stones are markers of memory and permanence.
Curses and blessings of a powerful memory
As a high school freshman, I sat in the school counselor’s office, counting numbers backward. To test my aptitude, he told me a series of random numbers (36, 71, 42, and so on) and asked me to recite them backward. I got a perfect score every time. I didn’t understand why he was so impressed—my memory has always been strong.
A powerful recall runs in my family. My great-grandmother touched my curly hair and ruminated. When she lost her hair to diphtheria as a young girl, she felt devastated. But when it grew back curly, she felt joyful. I learned from her that visual cues and feelings are keys to retrieving memories.
Curses
How to Make a Resurrection Garden for Family Devotions
A resurrection garden is a fun project that can spark interesting family devotions. It’s a great way to celebrate Lent with your children. You’ll need to build it several weeks before Easter so the grass seed has time to grow.
I wrote about the spiritual meanings of the different pieces in this post. You can use this information to teach your children the meaning of the resurrection garden and how God grows our faith during Lent. I’ve also written a 40-day devotional to accompany your project–see signup details below.
Building your resurrection garden is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to do it.