Posts Tagged ‘well-read mom’
Mina and Mattie: Examples of Femininity
I am due with a new little one any day now (prayers appreciated!), and the very clear reality of labor and birth is looming over me pretty much non-stop. While I must admit that I am battling some fear, I am also incredibly aware of my posture in front of this reality. This baby is coming, and only I can walk the road before me. It is a task that I have been given, and I must either grudgingly accept or gratefully receive. Both of these options are open to me, but it seems that there is one that offers more freedom. Freedom for me is in the active surrender of saying yes.
Read MoreSeeking the Beauty of Trees
On the First Sunday of Lent, one of our parish’s deacons gave the homily. He spoke about how, when his family first moved to Kansas City one summer, he was struck by the beauty of the trees. He had moved from the desert and wasn’t accustomed to so much green. Now, of course, the trees aren’t green. He likened the bleak, bare winter landscape to the Lenten season. We repent and let go, just as the trees let go of their leaves, he said, trusting that come Easter, come spring, we can glory in the Resurrection. Clearly, there is something going on here. It makes sense to me that trees are meaningful to Christians.
Read MoreHow Boldness is Both Necessary and Attainable
If “true grit” is an unflappable determination in the face of any circumstances, however horrific, challenging, or dire, the question remains: is this a natural gift or an attainable virtue?
Read MoreThe Right to Be Called Gritty
I have found myself wallowing in pity lately. I have found myself screaming to God, “Why me? Why can’t you let up? Why do we have to have one legitimate trauma after another?” I have found myself trying to reason with God, believing the maxim that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, but telling God that I think I am plenty strong enough for the time being; thank you very much. And then I picked up True Grit, and I met Mattie Ross.
Read MoreThe Hiding Place: “The Ripple of Laughter” in the Darkness
How do people find hope in the face of flagrant cruelty or disdain? The answer, as the ten Booms poignantly and concretely discovered, is found in the One Who endured the greatest suffering of all.
Read MoreTrue Grit: Something New to Ponder Each Time
This book appears on my Top 10 list. It’s just plain fun. And how often do I allow myself to read for pure pleasure?
Read MoreWhen Following is Freedom
We are a lonely culture that values “being rebellious” over true, deep happiness and fulfillment. Really, it all boils down to pride, yes? But truly, I need people. I always have and always will need people—and there is true freedom in following something proposed in love.
Read MoreDracula: The Inspiring Power of Tangible Beauty
More than a mere horror story, Dracula invites the reader to examine what is required to seek and protect the Good from the evils which are always present, though not always easily recognized or seen, in our world. What fascinates me most, particularly during this latest encounter with the novel, is Stoker’s proposition that the most potent methods of promoting the Good are also some of the most ancient and timeless.
Read MoreHumility & Wonder—the doorway to experiencing poetry
When we encounter a poem that is challenging, we practice bearing the tension of not understanding and approach it with humility and wonder.
Read MoreSeeking to See the Gift
“Everything is gift.” The theme of last year’s Well-Read Mom conference for the Year of the Giver seemed perfect. The idea sounds so beautiful. And yet still, I sometimes wonder, is everything a gift?
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