The cicada’s sizzle-hum sings all September, rising high in rippling waves. Ironweed’s melancholy plum brightens alongside showy goldenrod. Monarchs and swallowtails flit between asters and milkweed leaving a legacy of yellow-orange eggs. Jerusalem artichokes reach heavenward winking their bright black eyes in afternoon slanted sunlight. All the world’s gone to seed. Sumac plumes darken to … Read more
I’ve had to adjust to three of my parents’ remarriages, so when I heard Ron Deal speak on Family Life Today, I was intrigued with his idea of a slow cooker as a metaphor for blended families. Deal says when a blended family begins they need to adjust slowly, on a low simmer in a slow cooker. … Read more
Recently I entered my third year as a secretary at a Christian high school. I have learned much about teenagers in my time there—mainly that I cannot communicate in the same way with them as I do with my own younger children. What I’ve learned about teens also helps me in my interactions with the … Read more
This week I have listened to a book on CD while driving to and from my job as a high school secretary. Philip Yancey tells thought-provoking stories of people in ministry in his book “Finding God in Unexpected Places.” He devotes one chapter to Louise, a woman who started her own Jericho Road ministry in … Read more
Do you deal with work stress as a working mom? Most days, I come home mentally and emotionally spent from my job at a school. I haven’t managed my stress well in the past, so eight hours of stimulus and negativity wear me down. 5 Ways to Manage Work Stress This summer I’ve reflected on … Read more