Stop Doubting and Believe

Stop Doubting and Believe
COVID-19 positive, Dad’s been lying in a hospital bed for nearly three weeks and fighting for his life. I’m not allowed to see him. Visitors aren’t allowed whatsoever into the hospital, even if their loved one is dying. I won’t accept that Dad falls into that category, but I hear his suffering in moments when a nurse props a phone... Read More

Faithfulness in Prayer

Faithfulness in Prayer
One of my prized possessions is a children’s prayer book that used to belong to my mother. The cover has a picture of a beautiful girl with long blonde hair. She’s wearing what I’ve always thought is her nightgown, but which may actually be a choir robe. The girl’s hands are folded before her in the manner proper for Catholic... Read More

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace
My father-in-law, Ken Bixby, recently died. Years ago, he requested that “Amazing Grace" be sung at his funeral. He hadn’t told our family, however, which of the twenty-eight versions he had collected was the one we were supposed to use. That he would leave out such an important detail was surprising, because Ken was a master list-maker, organized, methodical, set in... Read More

Finding Joy

Finding Joy
As this most wonderful time of the year--Christmas--inches closer, many of us don’t feel the joy we’re entitled to. Some are better at masking inner pain than others are. But grief is no less a burden just because we’re good at hiding it. Personally, the stress my family and I are going through is like nothing we’ve faced before. We’re... Read More