Thursday, January 19, 2012


My daughter's boyfriend's dad died this week.  He had pancreatic cancer.

His sickness began at the same tender time they began to date and it's dark presence has been between them the year and a half they've been together.  She has born up under her boyfriend's inability to include her in his family.  He has kept her at a distance from them, even as he has jumped into ours.  We are even further out of  the circle, so much so that our presence at their home now would be intrusive.

It is so painful to be on the periphery of such a great loss; to care and to pray and to hope and to grieve with someone from a distance.

Monday, January 16, 2012

http://youtu.be/-H_BwyiwbB4

My oldest son is the guy in this commercial.  He made it over a year ago and it just now is playing in my area.  So wild to see his face pop up during the Caps game or during the morning news.
He's finally gotten himself a couple of jobs and can get by financially on his own.  All he needs now is persistence, patience, and a big break.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

     The last few years I've come to appreciate that my New Year resolutions fail because they are proclamations of what I am going to attempt to do all by myself, in my own strength. They last about a flat minute. 
       This year, I've asked God to show me where He desires me to go with Him.  The answer appears to be this:  Do the work.  No matter my mood or my feelings or circumstances, show up and do the work:  the work of prayer, of care for my family and friends, of doing what has to be done to manage my health and my home and my gifts.
        In the place of my usual overzealous pounce on a list of resolutions that I quickly lose steam over, I feel a budding of inner strength and peace.  We will make progress this year, God and I together.