Good Grief
At the end of May, I wept at my uncle’s funeral. The next day, I held my Nana’s still- warm hand for the last time as I stood beside her hospice bed. We had driven 5 hours to see her, only to arrive 30 minutes after she had passed. My husband was asked to check…
Evergreen
I had put myself in an awkward position. No—literally. Forced to recline at an odd angle because our loveseat’s a bit too small for both me and Calvin to stretch out, my view was the back of a whiteboard Calvin uses for studying. One side listed several meds he needed to memorize for school; the…
Dressing for Delight: How theology can positively influence fun with fashion
My dad read a few book series aloud to me when I was a kid, but my favorite was Anne of Green Gables. I remember when Anne Shirley asked for a dress with puffed sleeves, a part of my little heart jumped up to say, “me too!” I’ve liked clothes for as long as I…
No crying He makes?
The littlest shepherd in the front row tilted his head as his pillowcase head covering fell over his eyes…again. Angels in garland halos sang while a 5 year-old Mary carefully rocked the Jesus doll. It was a chaotic, adorable scene, and the congregation was delighted. I sat on the floor in the front row, trying…
A lifetime’s not too long
I used to think experiencing Jesus took place only in solitude. I had no problem with seeking Him in the early hours of the morning, armed with my coffee and a little notebook and whatever questions I had to ask Him. But whenever it came time to gather with a congregation, for example, I just…
He’s in the boat: On doubting Jesus, cancer, and river rafting
Ten years ago my dad took my sister and I to a little Mexican restaurant on the side of the road to break the news. Mom had been in the hospital a few days. There were tests, and the tests came back; bad news. A lot of that month is a blur for me, but…
Here I Raise my Ebenezer: Reflecting on My Years as a Teacher
Sunlight pours through the window, golden and dusty as I wipe down the board with a stained yellow rag. It’s late afternoon and the cleaning cart is rumbling gently down the hallway. I hope they will be slow and give me my last few moments in this space. The essays are turned in, final remarks…
Jesus the carrot farmer: on the New Year and slow sanctification 🥕
If I were to reflect on my 2023, I’d say what I often say to my Freshmen when they turn in an in-class essay five minutes after receiving it: What happened? I think I wound up flying by the seat of my pants for most of 2023 as my way of trying to adapt to…
Are you leading somewhere good, God?
The first thing I learned about Iowa was that it does, in fact, exist. The second was that you can land a plane on a runway strip in the middle of a cornfield and nobody will think twice about it. It was the trip we had been discussing for six months. Shortly after we got…
God is not a man named Max who owns a garden store: on Ricky Bobby, G.K. Chesterton, and the gospel of Burger King
So… what’s up with this title? I wish I knew the original thought behind it. Sometimes I wake up abruptly in the night with an idea that just MUST be recorded and, well, this was one of my recents. There was also an elaborate dream about being a speaker at the Super Bowl, which should…
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Kayley Chartier 