The Chosen Lady

The rhyming Russian proverb, doveryay, no proveryay, translates to “trust, but verify.” I should have embraced this proverb years ago because I assumed my children knew the story of the first Christmas. I learned yesterday I was wrong. They were short a few crucial details. Actual conversation with my 11 year old daughter. Me: “Tell me what you know about the Christmas story from the Bible.” Daughter : Makes exasperated noises. ” I know that Jesus was born. Blah, blah, blah, laid in the casket…” My eyebrows shot up my forehead like 4th of July fireworks. I exhaled loudly, stifling a giggle. “You mean manger? A casket is where a…

Do you ever feel like you’re putting Christmas on autopilot? Instead of rejoicing at the arrival of the Savior of the world, you are just going through the motions out of habit? Watching the same formulaic Christmas sweater wearing couple movies, baking the same sugary treats, whittling down an endless shopping list with a finite budget? Or is it deeper than that? Do you find yourself feeling irritable, angry even, that the birth of Jesus Christ is disrupting your finances, your routines, your plans? Dare we acknowledge it? Our little kingdom is usurped by His? If so, don’t feel bad, you’re not alone. The first Christmas, upon receiving Jesus’ birth…

April 2017 – I went to church today with the six youngest children in tow. The pastor’s sermon was about Hebrews chapter 11, which is a veritable Hall of Fame of faithful people in the Bible.  Every verse begins with the same phrase. “By faith…” By faith Noah built the ark, by faith Abraham offered Isaac, by faith Sarah had a baby in her old age, by faith the prostitute Rahab was not killed because she hid spies. There are many people mentioned, and their names are still remembered long after their deaths – because of their faith.The pastor said if our faith was sagging or lagging – we should read…

My sixteen year old son is a real hit with the ladies right now. He has been described as a “snack” which is a bit disconcerting to me as his mom. I feel like it was just last Wednesday I was teaching him to tie his shoes. He frequents the gym to keep his washboard abs from rusting while also working a landscaping job that keeps his acorn brown tan in perfect order. He recently said to me, with a gleaming smile created by his orthodontist and his parent’s money, “I’m the Rizzlord.” As a mother of ten children, I know that teenage slang words change daily, if not hourly,…

Dear reader, I have not written in some time because I haven’t been feeling quite myself. Medically, I needed treatment for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Spiritually, I needed replenishing and I found it by taking a recent solo trip to Italy. Standing on top of a mountain in the Italian Alps, four and a half thousand feet above sea level, I inhaled the sweetest cool air and was literally engulfed by descending clouds. The view was completely peaceful and brought me to tearful prayer. It was the living embodiment of this scripture, Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” I thanked God…

A week ago my seventeen year old son found a baby squirrel licking water off the driveway beneath his car. My son tried to lure the squirrel out, as he needed to drive to work and didn’t want to run over a baby animal. My sixteen year old son then took over, tempting the furry baby away from danger with the delight of a spoonful of peanut butter. Our new four footed friend quickly came running for an easy breakfast. With squirrel safety insured, my older son drove away to work. My younger son started getting close enough to pet the baby squirrel that he quickly christened, “Squishy.” I told…

““Love is a great beautifier.”― Louisa May Alcott I’m not a huge fan of road trips, but this weekend I felt the distinct pull of wanderlust. Since late March, I’ve been caring for my husband as he has been recovering from a joint replacement surgery. I didn’t know how much I needed a day to myself until my husband asked me, “Want to go out and do something?” From an outsider’s perspective, his question might seem very innocent. However, it lit a bonfire of irritation inside me. I prefer a planned date, as a plan ( to me) represents forethought and caring. My husband has his own perspective (more on this…

Happy Daylight Savings, dear reader! This week ushers in more sunshine hours, Vitamin D, and fresh air. I’m thankful for this. My previous week included a basketball playing teenager requiring stitches to his eyelid and a toddler with a stomach virus that caused her to projectile vomit like a sorority sister after a prolonged keg stand. A bright spot for me last week was when I shared about Jesus with two of my children. They always have great observations about the bible that I don’t see. I was reading to them from the book of Luke, the passage where Mary and Joseph travel with twelve year old Jesus to the…

I am fortunate to live nearby the ocean. I can drive from my home to the frigid New Hampshire coastline in under half an hour. Winter visits to the beach often surpass their summertime counterparts for my peace of mind. With far fewer people on the beach, it’s easier to engage my senses. The susurration of the surf gently peels away my stress. I play games of chicken with incoming waves as I walk across the fine gray sand. I nudge tightly woven bundles of rockweed and horsetail, common to the rocky shore. I peek underneath to see if there might be any intertidal creatures seeking shelter, or maybe a…