Uncategorized
-
To Comma, or Not To Comma (Part 2)
Welcome to comma central, where we’re talking about all things comma. Among most writers, you’ll find a consensus when it comes to this tiny, ambiguous mark. They don’t like it. It’s too confusing. When do you use it? Where do you use it? Why do you use it? And who even cares, really? Trust me, as a writer, you do! So let’s get back to answering the question, to comma, or not to comma? If you missed Part 1, check it out here. To Comma, or Not to Comma. In this section, we’ll cover es, sential and nonessential information in a sentence and how that plays into when and where you add in commas or leave…
-
Baby Love
“A baby?” I gaped at the nurse in blue scrubs and slid into the chair, almost missing the edge of the seat. My stomach flip-flopped into my throat. I swallowed hard, fighting against the physical push to vomit. The last week of bowing over the ceramic toilet seat hadn’t been the flu after all. Pregnant? Pregnant? Pregnant? The word spun on repeat, distorting the more times I said it in my head. I stared at the sign on the wall imploring me to Choose Life. Of course I would choose life—and relinquish mine in the process. Not a choice I would have made had someone asked. A baby confused…
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
Paying the Price
I stood in line at the local courthouse—speeding ticket, driver’s license, and proof of insurance in hand. On this particular Friday afternoon, the desk was short by one clerk and the line was long by ten people. Most likely, that was on purpose and waiting in line was part of the punishment for breaking the law. While I waited, I sifted through possible explanations I could use to avoid parting with $162. I missed the posted speed? I was in a hurry to get home to my kids? I was distracted? Tired? Anxious? Out of state company was due to arrive in an hour? The 30 MPH speed limit on…
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
The God-Hole
Barring basic physical needs, what one thing can people not live without? The answer is love. “And now these three remain: faith, hope, love. And the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13 NIV). We come into the world craving love, spend our lives chasing after love, and die wanting more love. Love pushes me through prickly patches in my marriage. Love prompts me to put my arms around my kids when my frustration peaks and all I want to do is walk away. Love paves the way to forgiveness when my anger rides high. I find love at the center of every close relationship I have. Why?
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
Be a Dork for Jesus
I have a secret. Sometimes I skip church. I shoo my kids into the van with super husband and watch out the window as they drive away. Here is what I am not going to do while they are gone—carve out time to work on my novel, crawl back into my fleece sheets for another two hours of much-needed sleep, or click on the TV to watch my favorite show. Let me paint a picture of my Sunday morning. After the Honda’s backside veers left on Quail Creek, I open all the curtains in the kitchen and family room, get the coffee going, light my twisted peppermint candle, and slip into…
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
Marriage: Down and Dirty
As of January 4th, I’ve been married to the same man for twenty-one years. I’ve learned a lot about marriage that I’d like to share. Here are the things no one will tell you before you walk down the aisle, along with some reasons to hack it out on the days when being single sounds more appealing. You can have a soul mate. You just have to work at it. Nothing substantial in a relationship comes naturally—most things need time to grow. Time doesn’t happen overnight. You earn your soul mate by baring the most intimate parts of your being and letting him do the same. After so many years,…
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
When Life Poops On You
Last week, I had coffee with my friend, Gloria, before a lunch conference six miles away from her house. After an energetic conversation, I slid into my car pumped about my novel and excited about the 12:30 meeting. My clock read 12:02. Before I drove off, I realized I forgot her food processor, I’d been meaning to take it off her hands since before Christmas. I left my keys in the ignition, didn’t bother to shut my door, and dashed back into her house. When I returned, a large gray bird had taken up residence on my dash.
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
The Miracle Manifested–Where Is The Miracle? Part Two
I asked a question at the end of the last post, Where is the Miracle? The question was this—What if The Miracle did occur and I missed it? What if The Miracle had nothing to do with the end result? And everything to do with the journey?
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
Where Is The Miracle? Part One
I follow a lot of CaringBridge sites. CaringBridge allows a family in medical crisis to post updates, prayer requests, and needs to a page that friends and family can access. The sites I follow have catchwords like “children” and “oncology.” My rooting in the pediatric cancer community comes out of the four years our family spent battling leukemia with our oldest son, Kyle. Because we’ve tread our own rough journey, people send me CaringBridge links, ask me to write encouraging emails, and pray for their friends and family that are dealing with similar struggles. I consider their requests a privilege. The way I see it, if I can’t take something…
You May Also Like
Grieving Grandma
-
Grieving Grandma
Grieving Grandma Baby blue—an odd color for a casket. Yet there it sat, next to a mound of fresh dirt, waiting to be lowered into the ground. Constructed of thin wood, the casket was clearly bottom of the line, but there wasn’t much money to put toward the burial. Grandpa needed taking care of. Bills needed to be paid, and I had been looking into investing strategies UK to find ways to make money quickly.
