My maternal grandmother, Nana, died last night at 11:30 Pacific time. I found out this morning from my mom while I was in an altogether different timezone, still hugging the Pacific, but from the Hawaii side. And honestly, because I'm not there, it's hard for me to...
Dear Julia, I still see you in your crib, a tangle of white-blond fluff for hair, taking breaths in and out. I remember all those times you broke your arm(s), which clearly showed me you were and are a girl of adventure. I see you in a snowsuit in Texas on a rare day...
I'm thankful to have Lori Wildenberg, author of her parenting book, Messy Journey. In it she shares her own journey with a wayward child, offering resources and hope for other parents with similar stories. I have the privilege of interviewing her here today. Here's...
I'm grateful to be a mother of a son. It's true all they say about a mother's bond with a son. It's unique. It's sweet. It's full of heart. My middle child (now six foot four of him) is twenty-one now--facial haired and wise. He is responsible, dedicated, and...
Normally I wax poetic about my child on a birthday, but this year I decided to share a photo essay with you. This year, my daughter Sophie and I had the privilege of traveling to Switzerland and Germany. She came as my assistant, and taught writers in Geneva, and...
I've known about Jen and Bayley for several years, as Jen emailed right after her world exploded. She recently got back in touch with me to give me an update. You'll be amazed at both Jen and Bayley's faith after such an earthquake of pain. How Our Stories Intersected...
So I'm going to get all honest with you...I listened to a podcast today that basically said be sad the rest of your life. Well, to be honest, what he said was never eat grains, not even corn or millet or that darling of the non-gluten crowd, quinoa. Of course no...
So Patrick and I have been married 25 years as of this moment. Wow. What an amazing adventure we've been on! I thought I'd celebrate by taking you through our marriage and family year by year. Year One: We lived in a tiny apartment in Federal Way, Washington. He...
So today, twenty-three years ago, I was in labor. Yep, Mary in labor on Christmas Eve. And, no, we didn't call Sophie Noel or Jesus. Sophia Michelle DeMuth is now 23 years old, and a gem of a girl who audaciously loves Jesus and deeply cares for people. That's what...
So I was talking to my eldest daughter Sophie in the doctor's office. She had graciously taken me because I'd been stung by a weird thing called a puss moth (ouch). I had been weighed as a part of the visit, and the number really bothered me. So I said it. To her. All...
I love truth. I love sharing it. And I also love wearing it. Which harkens me back to the 80s when Wham popularized a Choose Life T-shirt and I made my own. I love choosing life! I still do. In fact, I feel more alive today than I did in high school, college even. I...
Seventeen years ago, my sweet Julia hollered her way into this world in Edmonds, Washington. At a week old, she would fly with me to Palestine, Texas and begin her journey toward Texas-hood. (Yep, she likes spicy Tex-Mex). She'd survive 150 scorpions in our home...