The search was continuing. I thought about keeping our son home from school. Schools not far from us had been closed, but ours was open. Our son was eager to go, and I had to believe that he would be safe there. I have to have faith in our school leaders and teachers and law enforcement. We can’t live every day in fear.

Some questions are difficult to answer. What is it like to receive the Eucharist? What is it like to believe that this life we are enjoying is just a part of a whole extraordinary journey that leads us to God?

Dear Marie,
I’m grinning ear to ear. I hear you’ve given up on a tidy house—and that you’re happier for it.

Chinese New Year is absolutely my favorite holiday. It’s a chance to celebrate a new beginning and a special animal in the zodiac by connecting with friends and family and food.

Dolly Parton said, “I feel closest to God when I write.” That’s how I feel, too. So, it’s hard for me to believe that any kind of computer program or artificial intelligence can write the way a person can, bringing light and beauty and emotion to the written form.

Whenever I have avocado toast for breakfast, I remember the year that my New Year’s resolution was eating avocado toast more often.

The other night I ordered a pizza for dinner. When a text came through saying the pizza had been delivered, I checked, and there was nothing on our porch. For whatever reason, our house doesn’t show up properly on every GPS, so I wasn’t shocked. I called the pizza place and explained what had happened. […]

Sometimes we are seeking transformation when what we really need is more gentle growth.

It was Epiphany Sunday when we received the referral to adopt our older son, so this time of year always makes me smile. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh are wonderful gifts, but that phone call brought the best news we had ever received.

Hi Santa, I’m sorry, but I’d like to send this back. Yes, I know we had asked for a Christmas break again this year, but this wasn’t quite what we had in mind.