John Steinbeck wrote East of Eden. You might have heard of this book in English class, or (perhaps more likely) from Oprah’s book club.  The story  focuses on Genesis Chapter 4, the story of Cain killing Abel.  The novel hinges on one key word in the story: Timshel.  This interesting Hebrew word translates as “thou mayest.”  …

I’m anxious about the Husker season, and not because of the hail Mary loss last week to BYU.  I’m nervous for potlucks that will bring THE question, “So, how’s the new job?”(I recently quit my cool college teaching job to take a cool youth ministry job. . . which didn’t work out. . . and I…

The smack of the glass cracking woke me from the frenzy. My little six-year-old arm was still up in the air, fresh from flinging my 1980’s hair elastic (the kind with the two plastic balls) at my mom’s head. Luckily, I had missed her. Not so luckily, I had hit the etched glass window in…

“When the Friend I plan to send you from the Father comes—the Spirit of Truth issuing from the Father—he will confirm everything about me. You, too, from your side must give your confirming evidence, since you are in this with me from the start.” (John 15:26-27, MSG) — “What is​ this mama?” my three-year-old said grabbing the…

   “The doing of it is the thing. The doing is the thing. The talking and worrying and thinking is not the thing.” – Amy Pohler Amy Pohler doens’t claim to be a Christian author, but I find myself wanting to hold up my hand and say, “Amen, sister.”  Like her, I’ve been guilty of over-analyzing and over-thinking…

I know this doesn’t sound very gratitude-y, but I would like to formally start a petition to skip the months of January and February next year.  Feel free to sign your name below.  Nebraska.  Dreary.  Cold.  Gray.  Bleh.  These last few months have been tough as it was dreary out and I felt dreary in.…

Photography by Curt Brinkmann My own face squished up wet, next to her little tear-soaked cheek.  I hugged her and told her we would get brave together. My daughter woke up in the middle of the night, scared of the “monster on her wall.”    We tip-toed up and touched the shadow together.  It wasn’t…

This has been a week of screw-ups for me, my imperfection showing off. . . fantastic.  All of it leaves me feeling complain-y and Eeyore-y  But, when we’re not feeling thankful, the gratitude of others has a way of rubbing off, contagious.  Grab a helmet–because they’re gonna blow your mind–and invest time in one or…

As I sit here at my green writing table, I can hardly wait for my fresh new, 2015 notebook. . . I geek-out on New Year’s resolution thinking, excited for the energy that comes with a fresh start.  It’s like I’m this penned-up dog ready for my owner to release the leash as I stand…

Last night at 1:52 a high-pitched toddler voice jolted me awake. “Where are you mama?  Where ARE YOU MAMA!?” My two-year-old’s screams came from the living room.  Trying to find me, she was lost. As I sat rubbing her back, wrinkling her new red and white Christmas reindeer pajamas, I wished I could take her…