Michele

My porches are some of my favorite places to just sit and listen. No music playing. No baseball game on the radio. Only the chatter coming from the chickens, the distinct call of a Bobwhite Quail, or maybe another airplane taking off or landing. Until that unmistakable buzz. It’s very familiar to me now. I […]

There are some things in life you’re never prepared for. No amount of study or conversation or therapy or prayer will suffice. I began one of those journeys 23 years ago. My brother died March 9, 2001. Shortly after that, I received a call from Karen Spaeth. She heard that I sang at Michael’s funeral

I thoroughly enjoy a well-manicured lawn. It makes my heart happy. Taking off my shoes and walking on this plush landscape almost feels holy. It’s highly therapeutic, too. There are studies that even suggest health benefits such as better immunity, increased antioxidants, and improved sleep. Sign me up for all of those please. So I

The following weeks turned into months and our hearts were heavy. We were seeing and experiencing things that no amount of training could ever prepare us for. We had initially launched our daily prayer time at noon. Many were attending and tangible evidence was being seen as a result. I had failed to consider that

It’s pretty common for me to say something like, “I need a little Jesus” when I’m having a rough day. Maybe someone at work has lit my last nerve on fire. Or the lady at the service desk at Kroger was unbelievably lacking in professional skills. Maybe I just received some bad news. To some

I’ve said it before. I’ll probably say it again. Life is hard. Really hard. When you’re a teenager and can’t fathom that your parents know anything. When you’re having kids. When that job just isn’t what it was made out to be. Your spouse is testing your vows. The call came unexpectedly. None of us

April 8, 2024, was a day most of us in the path of eclipse totality won’t soon forget. Businesses closed or were open with extra activities and services available. Schools weren’t in session. We made sure we had special glasses for viewing. We made it a big deal. I was working that day (you can’t

Spring makes me happy. Vibrant colors replace the dormant browns. Smells are fresh and new. And the songs in the air seem exceptionally spirited. The Earth is coming back to life. One of my favorite things about this time of year is watching the first signs of my perennials peeking through the soil. There are

When I began this journey, I had my hands open. No specific plan. No preconceived ideas. Just start writing from a place of complete honesty. That sounds good in theory. Right? But to be quite frank, it’s also terribly scary; and risky even. There’s a possibility of misinterpretation. Someone is likely to judge. At the

So it pleased God that He made me for Himself. That’s what that verse in I Samuel says. So I can’t be a failure. Or maybe I still don’t have this figured out. I divorced Brandon’s dad four years later in 1991. Another failure. So now I’m a single mom with three part-time jobs. Some