Temma and I got our little tree trimmed with all our ornaments this afternoon. That is always a nostalgic task. Many of the ornaments come from friends, as far back as when Temma was a baby and coming off life-support at the hospital after her cardiac arrest. Tim and I came home to our apartment […]
Tag Archives: hope
What are my spiritual practices now that I’m retired? No one in particular has asked me this question. My prayer sisters (especially one) keep on me about a church-going practice. But, no, I ask myself the question on this quiet day in November with the sun shining, Temma sitting beside me in her wheelchair looking […]
Growing up in Michigan is a story of winter, at least in my memory. The harshness of winter when things cannot grow in the ground and the fun of winter tobogganing at the golf course hill, snowboarding on the small hill in our backyard, sledding, snowball fights, and walking out on the big ice waves […]
I just finished reading the editorial pages in this last Sunday of 2018’s New York Times. The editorials grouped under the title “Hope Isn’t Only About the Future” renewed a sputtering flame of creative writing inside me (other than sermon-writing and other writing for church work). 2018 was a hard year. I lost some heart […]
“I’m angry,” I said to Tim. We were driving to the nearby movie theater. “Why are you angry? Did I do something that you’re angry about?” was his quick reply. “No, I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at my lack of control over where I’m at right now.” Tim began sharing his experiences of […]
The World Series Chicago Cubs vs. the Cleveland Ball Club, the 2016 presidential election Trump vs. Clinton, and the dilemma of my church charge – close the church and merge vs. close the church and go our separate ways; these three “battles”, options, competitions are becoming entangled in my mind and heart. The emotional ups […]
(In the photo my mom and I are looking at one of Tim’s paintings of my daughter Temma, titled “Bower” when it was hanging in the Grand Rapids Art Museum in 2014’s Art Prize exhibition.) I had the opportunity to spend some extended time with my mom a couple weekends ago when I was in […]
Writing From the Margins 