Christmas Paperwhites & a Porch Swing

"No ear may hear His coming,but in this world of sin,where meek souls will receive Him still,the dear Christ enters in." A storm of blackbirds descending on the neighborhood and chattering in the trees Climbing into our big, dark attic and Jared hanging my porch swing Early morning Bible study and conversations by the fire … Continue reading Christmas Paperwhites & a Porch Swing

O Little Town

One December, a few weeks before Christmas, I went down to the square of my hometown to pass out flyers for a Christmas event at my church. I grew up several miles outside of town, so I didnโ€™t frequent the block very often, except for the parade on Memorial Day every year. All the shops … Continue reading O Little Town

In the Waiting Room

This piece was written for the December issue of our church's newsletter, Grace & Peace. One day a few years ago, I found myself sitting on the first floor of a doctorโ€™s building, talking to a lady named Darlene. It was a few weeks before Christmas, and rain was blowing against the big windows, wet … Continue reading In the Waiting Room

A Long Line of Quiet Women

Sometimes, usually when Iโ€™m in the kitchen, I find myself thinking about my great-grandma Minerva, Papa Jayโ€™s mom, who had a tight, little face, wore her black hair in a bun, and made him biscuits and gravy from scratch every morning. Papa is getting to an age when he canโ€™t remember things well or often, … Continue reading A Long Line of Quiet Women

On Goldenrod & Body Image

Dear Maggie,* Once when I was a teenager, I went to a big concert by a Christian band-โ€“the kind of concert where you feel the drums beat under your ribcage. The event was themed around one of the bandโ€™s new songs, which dealt with the worth of a young woman who doesnโ€™t see herself as … Continue reading On Goldenrod & Body Image