The incessant grumbling of a bear’s stomach upon waking from hibernation is akin to my stomach’s need for food while I was pregnant. When hunger struck, there may or may not have been occasions when tears were involved if a waiting period was necessary before receiving nourishment.  In one memorable moment, I all but inhaled the chips and queso at one of our favorite restaurants. My husband, gingerly and with caution, told me that I didn’t need to worry… no one was going to take the chips away from me. I must have looked crazed as I shoveled those crispy triangles dipped in golden queso deliciousness straight into my mouth…

“I’ve got to get off the phone…the ranch is on fire…” were the words my husband spoke to me before the line went dead on an otherwise normal afternoon when I called to let him know I was on my way home from work.  He managed a wildlife ranch, and we lived on the property. I had no idea the magnitude of the blaze until I arrived at the county road that led to our home only to find it blocked by law enforcement vehicles. I explained my situation. After much finagling, they let me pass. Smoke rolled through the sky transforming the sunny day to ashen clouds.  My husband…

I saw her at church a little less than a year ago. I didn’t have an opportunity to visit with her before she slipped out the door, but I hoped to see her again. She had such an ease about her way. I did see her again a few weeks later at Starbucks. We struck up a conversation. After Starbucks, she was on her way to the local health club to exercise. We had an opportunity to pray together before we parted ways.  These are normal everyday occurrences. Stopping at Starbucks. Exercising at the health club. There’s just one difference. She was homeless.  I don’t know what circumstances led to her homelessness,…

I was having a day that felt much like a conditioning exercise I used to do many years ago while training for cross country. On the track, we would sprint the straightaways and walk the curves. My day felt like a sprint to get as much as I could done during my conference period- grade papers, contact a parent, make copies…This stop and go pace, while generating results of productivity, left me hovering around empty in my energy tank by the end of the day. It being my daughter’s first day of dance class, energy or no energy, the show must go on.  Excitement sizzled in the air as the…

My daughter loves to bake. Last weekend, she wanted to bake a layer cake, but in favor of a less complicated option, we settled on butter cookies. We dance partied while mixing up the dough, and she got her first batch on the cookie sheet.  I will have you know that I exhibited self control and did not try a single morsel of what I’m sure to have been delectable dough.  I thought our baking escapade had come to an end for the day.  “Mommy, can I take a risk?” she asked.  She wanted to test whether or not M&M’s would melt like coating chocolate to drizzle on top of…

Summer is a glorious time in the life of a child. Pencils are traded for bubble wands, and schedules are traded for a “Can we go to the park today?” attitude.  This particular summer was different. We returned from my dad’s Neuro-oncology visit in Dallas a few weeks before summer break began. Results from his MRI did not reveal good news. The tumor was growing rapidly. We knew this would likely be the last summer we’d have to treasure with him.  Moments begged to be savored and tucked away in the memory bank of our minds to be relived like movie reels. Summer break came, and my daughter and I…

“Wilbur thought often of Charlotte. A few strands of her old web still hung in the doorway. Every day Wilbur would stand and look at the torn, empty web, and a lump would come to his throat. No one had ever had such a friend- so affectionate, so loyal, and so skillful.”–Charlotte’s Web My precious second graders just finished this beautifully written classic. I love teaching literature. I love digging between the lines of the text and connecting symbolism, allegories, and discovering characters in a way that leaves you feeling like you’ve left the novel with a new friend.  Kleenex were needed as we shared Wilbur’s sorrow in the closing…

I’m not going to lie, when my alarm sounded this morning three hours earlier than my body has become accustomed to waking after being on holiday break, my countenance didn’t exactly reflect a joyful disposition.  I ambled to the coffee pot, waited as the glorious slow stream of caffeinated elixir filled my favorite coffee mug, and settled in for my morning quiet time. I didn’t realize then that my reading would illuminate throughout the day via a series of connect-the-dots moments.  As I began preparing my classroom for the day, a parent entered and asked if she could pray over my classroom and the desks. I sat down realizing that…

I enjoy classic movies. Something about the simplicity of cinematography and black and white features pre technicolor appeals to me. I recently watched “Roman Holiday”. Audrey Hepburn portrays the beautiful Princess Ann who becomes quite disgruntled with the demands of upholding the required responsibilities and engagements of being an heiress to the throne.  In an attempt at fulfilling the void of her wonder of whether the grass was greener on the other side of the castle walls, she flew the coup and experienced a frivolous day on the town in Rome. No schedule. No responsibilities. No engagements to attend. Though her conscience heeded several times the need to get back…

Life is full of twists and turns. Mountaintop experiences full of jubilant moments. Valleys that drive us to question our faith as we strive to maintain normalcy amongst life’s trials and pain. In October of 2016, I entered a valley. My dad was diagnosed unexpectedly with a Stage IV Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor. The diagnosis landed in our laps two days after we celebrated his 66th birthday with apple pie and laughter around my dining room table. To say that we were shocked would be an understatement. But something happened out of the ash of this circumstance. I watched my dad face unspeakable trial with unshakable faith. His mantra throughout…