“‘Absolute futility,’ says the Teacher. ‘Absolute futility. Everything is futile’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, CSB). The words from my morning quiet time (that had unfortunately been cut short) echoed through my mind as I stood in a long line, tapping the strap of my purse and straining to glimpse what was happening at the front of the… Continue reading Absolute Futility
Every October, it would take a little longer for my parents to take me to kindergarten. The extra minute or two delay began when our neighbors at the end of our street covered their small yard with every kind of Halloween decoration. Plastic gravestones lined the driveway. White ghosts swung from the oak tree. Fake… Continue reading When I Am Afraid
On New Year’s Eve 2019, we had begun preparing our adoption profile book after a long six-month home study process for domestic adoption. I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to blame it on the rich holiday food, but on a hunch, I took a pregnancy test. 2020 began with a big surprise, we were pregnant… Continue reading Approved and Waiting
“Grown-ups come back.” “Find a way to play together.” “If you have to go potty, stop and go right away.” If you’re currently a parent of toddlers, you will know the melodies that accompany the lyrics above from our favorite friendly jungle animal. Each day, my daughter jumps out of her bed after naptime—excited for… Continue reading Lessons from Daniel Tiger
“We got a few updates,” my husband begins as he walks through our bedroom door after his late-night conference call with his Army Reserves unit. “Are you getting deployed?” I blurt out the words before he reaches the bed. My heartbeat hammers and my fists clench, anxious for him to answer my question. He… Continue reading The Fear of Bad News
Last summer, I spent each suffocating quarantine morning squeezing my pregnant body into a bright blue lawn chair. Like the rest of the pandemic experience, it was miserable, but I made do. Yet as soon as I caught the scent of changing seasons this past March, I drove to a local outdoor store and bought… Continue reading A View from My Front Porch
Strawberry picking signals the beginning of spring each year for our family. I off the the dirt road, now muddy after a morning shower, and my daughter races to pick out her white bucket. It’s still cool enough for me to wear a cardigan, but after thirty minutes, I begin to sweat while squatting to… Continue reading Taste and See
My daughter chatters and slurps her yogurt and honey at the breakfast table while I feed rice cereal to my son in his highchair. She narrates her favorite parts of the new Disney movie we watched last weekend, Raya and the Last Dragon, and raises her voice and spoon for dramatic effect. I’m half listening,… Continue reading Tiny Discipleship
One rainy Monday morning, frustrated tears slid down my two-year-old daughter's cheeks before we even made it out of the bedroom. I coaxed her sobbing body into the kitchen, still insisting she wanted Play-Doh not breakfast, but she slumped to the floor seeing the waffles I made. Already exhausted from the morning's conflicts, I conceded… Continue reading The Better Parent
I hate the ten minutes at the beginning of a road trip. As soon as the garage door closes and our car pulls out of the driveway, my mind takes off. Did I get my phone charger? Watch charger? Laptop charger? I can’t remember if I fed the cats. Wait, are the cats accidentally locked… Continue reading Remember the Flowers
Bethany Broderick 