I see them out there every week. Marching, protesting, waving their banners of bloodied baby bodies. Their cause is obvious; they want the world to see the horrors of abortion. Their right is true; America is a land of freedom of speech. Their approach is wrong. I pulled my car over to where they were standing, and asked if I could take their picture. They were hesitant, but when I told them that [...] 
I was sitting in the lobby of a neuropsych office, waiting on the boys, when I had one of those crazy deja vu moments. Normally, I just wonder if I experienced the moment in a dream or perhaps in an alternate reality, but this time I knew exactly where it was from. A year and a half ago, we were in the process of adopting twin toddlers from Ethiopia. After almost a decade [...] 
The year 2009 has been one of completely unpredictable twists and turns. In every area of my life, I’ve found myself learning to expect the unexpected: whether in my family, social, spiritual, church, or religious lives (and yes, the last three are very different entities). Knowing that all of life is an adventure, this year has had an unparalleled amount of heartache, joy, stress, concern, and question associated with it. Among the general [...] 
As I sat next to him, holding his hand while he struggled to fall asleep, my mind could only imagine the thoughts swirling around in his head. It has been a hard summer for these boys; after years of equally difficult seasons. At night, as they will their brains to rest, they toss and turn, leaning toward their hopes of trust and safety, and flinching from bedbugs: memories of disappointment, loneliness, anger, [...] 
When we found her she was a scared little thing, hungry and lonely. After time, her fear gave way to peace and she began loving us unreservedly. Today, she is still dreadfully timid, but quick to welcome and smother us with licks and wags of her tail. They were all much the same. There were six of them, from all over the neighborhood. Each happened to be equally broken: two were abused, [...] 
Learning to love isn’t as easy as one would expect; certainly after years of waiting and expectation. Every morning, as I greet these gorgeous boys who have entered my life, I am overwhelmed by instinctive affection for them. I’m drawn to their hearts and life, like the desert to the rain. At times, it is all I can do to keep from sweeping their skinny frames up into my arms and [...] 
It started out in a conversation between two new friends. One shared that she was thinking about dragging her grill to an intersection to feed the homeless standing around looking for handouts. The other commented that she had plans to reserve a pavilion at a park to pass out food. They joined forces. Friends climbed aboard. Food poured in. Signs were made. Burgers were grilled. The hungry appeared. Stomachs were [...] Centuries ago, I was in a Junior High melodrama where I played a ridiculously girly victim of an escapade, which I vaguely recall included a Wells Fargo box. Of my few real memories of the play, one includes jumping on the back of Brian Hope (the villain, I believe) and beating his head in an escape attempt. Truly, I only remember this because when we performed the drama, one of his younger siblings (sitting in the front row) became very angry and started yelling at me, mid-play. The other scrap I remember is defending the honor of my home. As I recall, it was a “small, but scrupulously neat and tidy cottage”. Thirty years later, my home remains the same. Somewhat. Okay. So, it’s not technically a cottage. Or a chalet. Or a bungalow. Each of these sounds too intentionally quaint. Neither is it entirely a shack, but it is an organized shelter from weather. (Yes, Toby… perhaps I’m overstating.) And, while I’d love to declare it so, I cannot claim that it is scrupulously neat and tidy. I definitely attempt this, but scrupulous is a strong word. And neat and tidy is relative. However, small it is. Continue reading seeking ramshackle home in bad neighborhood Last Friday, a group of Journey friends gathered in our living room with one purpose and plan in mind; we were going to pray and listen for God’s direction. Not for our lives or for our future. For right now. Friday night. We gathered together and began praying that God would move on our hearts and minds; that he would impact us personally, and show us collectively how he wants us to follow him for now, for this night, in this moment. Continue reading purpose(less?) peace 
Scrambling. Jamming. Climbing. Scampering. Skittering. Bouldering. Scaling. Living, faith and mountaineering are much the same. Taking in the view from the top begins with braving and mastering the rocks gathered below. Often under the watch of the olderlings. One step at a time. All the way to the summit. |
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Copyright © 2010 ellosy : Ellen Stevens - All Rights Reserved |
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