“Gold is tested by fire, people by God.” (a Chinese proverb) panic attack: an episode of intense fear that may occur as a reaction to a stressful event; specifically: one that is accompanied by four or more bodily or cognitive symptoms. I didn’t realize what was happening at the time. My entire body was quaking.… Read More Tested by Fire
A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3:4). Peter’s dad was a Control Freak and the self-proclaimed Center of the Universe. Peter had warned me. Still, I wasn’t prepared for the actual experience. In February of 1999, Peter’s parents came from England to… Read More Saying Good-bye to the Center of the Universe
My What-I-Am-Looking-for-in-a-Husband List started with just a few basic traits. Christian. Intelligent. Good with Kids. Sense of Humor. And Athletic. Sounds reasonable, right? But as I moved through my twenties—marked in some way by too many men—the list expanded and morphed. Each failed relationship sent me back to the list with a bright red pen.… Read More When You Want to Get Married
I am a gardening wannabe. It’s the artistic part that appeals to me. Loading my Home Depot cart with pretty plants. Then arranging them around the garden, according to size and color and shape and texture and blooming time. However—and quite unfortunately—the science side of gardening eludes me. Oh, sure, I can place the plants… Read More To Grow Your Soul
Truth be told…I didn’t want to write this essay. Oh, I know. List-y essays are all the rage. That’s partly why I balked. The non-conformist in me. But, too, it feels reductionist. Because in listing out these 20 points, I am communicating—in an over-simplified sort of way—several of the ideas that I will be unpacking… Read More 20 Things I Might Have Told My 20-Something Self
When Peter and I purchased This Old McHenry House in 2005, we did what most wise home buyers do. We hired a home inspector to go over the place with a fine-tooth comb and tell us what needed to be fixed. The garage door didn’t close properly. The brick patio was crumbling. Among other things.… Read More Home Inspection (or What We Knew at 22)
When we first saw This Old McHenry House in December of 2004, she was covered in a dingy white vinyl siding. All of her still-visible trim work was sloppily painted a horrible dark pink. She wasn’t pretty. But I thought she had potential. My suspicion was confirmed when we received a folder of paperwork at… Read More Growing Up in Good Time
I grew up in a Fundamental Baptist world. Fundamental Baptist home. Fundamental Baptist church. Fundamental Baptist school. I know what you’re thinking. Okay, actually, I don’t. But I imagine a handful of common responses. Defensiveness is one. Maybe you know some Fundamentalists, and they get your back up. Or maybe you are one, and you… Read More The Fundamentalism Factor
This month I’m taking a break from my This Odd House writing project. Instead, I’m sharing a few little Christmas-related stories, linked up to “Tuesdays Unwrapped” at Emily Freeman‘s chattingatthesky.com. Go to her website to find the links to many more tales of Grace from her community. My plan is to pick back up on… Read More Our Cock-Eyed Christmas
Last Tuesday I was a bit strung out. I had to make an unexpected trip into the city to help direct a rehearsal for the Christmas production I had written. Opening night was Friday, and the final scene wasn’t coming together. The pressure was on to sort it out. To make it meaningful. To pierce… Read More A Sticky Little Gift