My husband’s brother Doug has a brain tumor. He had surgery right before Christmas to remove half of the softball-sized mass, which doctors are calling stage 4 glioblastoma. He began radiation and chemotherapy treatments this week. Doug is 59 years old. He has a lovely wife Betty and three precious daughters, Stacey, Stephanie, and Sally. […]
Archive | Family
Putting the Puzzle Together
My grandson Landon has developed a fascination with puzzles lately—well, mostly carrying around the pieces and depositing them where he likes. I thought I would help cultivate this interest and skill by purchasing him a new puzzle, so I looked on Amazon and ordered him one. It was a chunky wooden block puzzle for […]
Helping Others in the Race
My husband David and daughter Sarah completed an Ironman competition last weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida. The full-day event involved swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean, biking 112 miles, and running a marathon (26.2 miles). Sarah started doing the Ironman competition with her dad 4 years ago, and David has been participating in the […]
The Fabric of Our Hearts
My daughter Sarah got married recently. Before her wedding day, she took some of the lace from my mother’s wedding dress, the same dress I wore for my wedding, and she sewed it into her dress in the shape of a heart. She surprised both of us with it on the day she got married. […]
Lessons from the Hummingbird
“Mom, I found a hummingbird on the floor of the garage, and I think it’s hurt,” my daughter Sarah said. I scurried out the back door and down the steps as Sarah crouched over the tiny bird. Its legs were all tangled up in some sort of string or webbing, and its chest was heaving […]
They’re Married! The Lord is Faithful
My daughter Sarah married Ben DeCelle, the love of her life, on September 16. We recently were given a “sneak preview” of their wedding photos by Irresistible Portraits (irresistibleportraits.com). (All photos in this post are by Karen Goforth, Irresistible Portraits.) As I looked at those images, tears welled up in my eyes. Every photo reminded […]
God Gives Us One Another
I looked around at the many different faces surrounding me, and I whispered a quiet prayer of thanks. “Lord, I love each one of them so much. Thank you for making them a part of my life.” The many faces belonged to my relatives—strong, loving, wise, gentle, witty, and compassionate souls I had known for […]
The Perfect Fit
I tore open the bag and slipped out the royal blue dress with sequins, beading, and fringe. I was looking forward to wearing it to my daughter Sarah’s bridal shower. My sister Danielle and sister-in-law Jodi were planning a fun, Great-Gatsby-themed party for her in my hometown of Louisville, Ohio. I pulled the dress down […]
Nothing is Impossible with God!
Eighteen years ago, doctors told us our son Patrick was autistic, mentally retarded, and might not ever speak. A few weeks ago, Patrick graduated magna cum laude from Pfeiffer University. He sang “Corner of the Sky” at commencement, which is all about finding your place in this world. Those in attendance gave him a standing […]
Cutting Our Teeth
My grandson Landon with his parents, my son-in-law Curt and daughter Katie My grandson Landon is cutting his first teeth. Two little white pearls are emerging through his bottom gums. While the rest of us are excited about this new development, our little man now sometimes trades his winning smile for a little furrow between […]