A few weeks ago, my niece asked if I would buy a bracelet to support women in Kenya. It is a simple twine bracelet with a single heart bead. The card attached said:“Tie this bracelet on and pray for girls so far away.Share their story from your heart.When the bracelet naturally falls off one dayYou… Continue reading Raggedy String
Chickens
We got chicken eggs at school today. I’ve been building it up - telling them what great parents they’ll be for these little chicks. I’ve explained the very important job they’ll have of turning the eggs every day. I put up the “Egg Helper” job on the chart and I’m pretty sure most of them… Continue reading Chickens
Optimism
I had five extra little girls this week. Their foster family was going out of the country and the child care arrangements fell through, so the caseworker called me. I’m pretty sure I know how the conversation in the office went. “Can you think of anyone crazy enough to take five little girls for a… Continue reading Optimism
“Oh. OK.”
I don’t love Christmas. There, I said it.I love the reason. The thought of the incarnation - God of all creation becoming a helpless human because of His love for me - leaves me breathless. It’s the season that wears me down. Every year I brace myself, then duck & cover as the flurry of… Continue reading “Oh. OK.”
Helping God
I come from a great big family that delights in its children. Grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, aunts and uncles, all pace their steps and plan their days around children. It is not uncommon at a family gathering to watch a circle of giggling aunts snapping pictures as a baby reacts to her first… Continue reading Helping God
The Gardener
D came to school with many strikes against him. One of his father’s 19 children, drugs in his system when he was in the womb, a birth mother with mental health issues, and way too much explicit knowledge for a child of five. To top it off, he had severe hyperactivity, inability to focus, and… Continue reading The Gardener
Apple Trees
This is another from the archives, from my Christmas letter this past year. And if it looks like they're picking apples from a rain gutter, you're right. The orchard's crop was very bad last year, but they still wanted the kids to experience getting apples from trees. Pretty creative!A day after our field trip to… Continue reading Apple Trees
What I believe a foster home is…
This home is a harbor on the edge of a dangerous sea.The lighthouse is lit to welcome ships. Some come with a crash – damaging themselves and my harbor, dashing against the rocks. Some slip in quietly, trying not to be seen, not wishing to be hurt by love. Some are bold, loud, flashy. Some… Continue reading What I believe a foster home is…
“…but why won’t the light work?”
While most of my posts are going to be about children, I have to admit my dog has taught me quite a bit. Hershey is still technically a puppy (I have been promised that when she turns two she will be good and calm...come on September!), and she has the energy to prove it. One… Continue reading “…but why won’t the light work?”
Valentine’s Day
[From the archives - written for my church newsletter a couple years ago.]It’s a childhood ritual. The morning of Valentine’s Day, my Kindergarten students come in to the classroom, their book bags loaded down with cards and treats and gifts. They all have cereal boxes decorated with paper and stickers to hold their Valentine cards.… Continue reading Valentine’s Day
saving the dandelions 