River of Thoughts

It’s been said that the fire extinguisher should be the only uni-tasker in your kitchen. I saw a “watermelon knife” on a morning TV segment the other day.  It purportedly removes the seeds from the watermelon as it cuts.  For $25.  The way the knife is designed, there is no other thing this knife could possibly do besides cut watermelon.  Poorly, if i were to guess. This watermelon knife symbolizes consumerism gone awry.  Of the need to buy more and more and more.  To measure your life based on the “stuff” you own. Just turn on an episode of “Mission: […]

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Me: Another one. Hiding amongst the hairy clumps holding together tighter than velcro, he cautiously reaches with one leg, then slowly another, then pauses. Movement is his enemy. What he doesn’t understand: so is stillness. I easily pluck the hitchhiker from the dog’s fur. But then what? Do I squash him? End his time, return him to the ground, earth, landfill, buried in a pile of burrs and fur? Do I release him back to the woods to begin his immigration plans anew? To find a new leaf on which to wait for the dog’s return and a new opportunity […]

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Well, it’s a bit of an overstatement to actually say it’s unpacked. Perhaps the title should actually be “Follow My Process of Unpacking The Quitter Conference Through The Overwhelming Sense of Being Slammed in the Face With a Firehose of Wisdom and Practical Advice.” But I don’t think too many people would read that. Which is OK since I’m posting this for me anyway. About a month ago, I attended Jon Acuff’s Quitter Conference in Nashville. One of the coolest things (and easiest) that Jon advised was to compile a Quitter Soundtrack….YAY! Day 1: DONE!! Catchafire – TobyMac Starry-Eyed Surprise […]

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I saw this photo recently and just wanted to throw up. (Ironic, huh?) My girls have a unique balance of confidence and insecurity. I’m incredibly proud of both of them and of how often they manage to stand firm on their convictions, whether their peers agree or not. But other times, they are just as sucked in as everyone else. Thin sucks them in. My girls have known what it’s like to not have enough food. We’ve been lucky. Neither of the girls has food-hoarding issues that so often come from years of living without. But it took quite a […]

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The backyard glows a soft white; crisp shadows lean in from an unfamiliar direction. Every bush, every flower, every tree shines. The first time I remember noticing moonlight, I think I was about four. I woke in the middle of the night and crept to the bathroom. Well, I probably didn’t creep; four-year-olds aren’t the best at creeping. I probably ran into three walls, slammed a couple of doors, woke my parents up, and tripped over a dog or two. Memories sometimes trick us like this, so I all I remember is the silence. As I sneaked through the hallway, […]

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