All 10 Popes

19 and pregnant will collide dreams with reality quickly and you might just find yourself (as I did in 2002) in a tan Ford truck having a very awkward conversation with your boyfriend that goes a little something like this:  Him: Well, do you think we should get married? Me: (thinking... this isn't exactly how I dreamt of being proposed to) Maybe. I dunno. It's probably what everyone expects. Him: (thinking...this isn't exactly how I dreamt that answer to be) Yeah. Ok. He says he doesn't remember that conversation, but I do. I often remind him that I have a situational memory like an elephant. I don't forget. It's a blessing. And a curse. I've never looked back on that conversation with anything but fondness. I had many not so fond conversations after that with others. Conversations I'll write about in detail when the time is right and when I can find the words that I've never can seem to find. For now, I will say that one particular conversation was

My sweet sister passed through recently and I enjoyed sitting and chatting with her and her bombastic husband. They always make me laugh. And think. I appreciate that about them both. We discussed books, politics, food, family and of course where we see our country headed. Those of you that follow me on Instagram (I still have a profile on Facebook but no longer use the platform) might have been caught off guard by my more seemingly political posts. I have gone back and forth as to if I should explain myself here. I mean, who am I really? No one actually. And nothing screams self-importance like a friend on your feed posting, "Why I never posted about controversial issues and now I do." It's weird and yet, here I am writing about it.  I wrestle with this idea because clarity matters. I want those of you that I love and are dear family and friends to try to understand where I am coming from especially when and if we disagree. It is hard to be clear on social media. It is h

Friends!  Thank you for reading OR you can  listen  to me read this post to you.  Thoughtless. Uncaring. Failure.  These are the rocks I put in my backpack often. There's usually a lost, dirty sock in there too belonging to one of my children. But that’s another story for another day. You have yours too, I would imagine. Rocks, I mean. Rocks? You say. Yes, rocks. Let me explain: Imagine with me: you are running a race (if that’s too much of a stretch imagine you’re going on a long hike). This race/hike is long. It’s hard. The peak is high and the valleys are so low light cannot be see. It’s bright in some spots but darker than you could have ever imagined in places. All you know is, once you start you have to keep going. Forward. That’s the way. Forward. That’s what you know because there is no going back.  Not far into your journey, you stumble...you fall. You trip over rocks jutting out of the path. This happens again and again. At some point along the race yo

**click here to listen to me read this post** Dearest Reader, It's been weeks since I originally wrote this post. Like, beginning of summer. Lets just say that the Lord has been at work on me in with this very thing. So lest you be tempted to think that I have this altogether, He has plainly showed me that I surely do not. Please remember that now and always as I write, I am always speaking truth to myself first.  I accidentally let out about 1/4 of our pool water into our neighbor’s yard the other morning. Thankfully it was slow, and it’s been rainy so they didn’t notice. The same evening I proceeded to make a dinner for some new friends and the dish I made included ingredients some of them can’t eat because of their severe food allergies. Like brings an epipen because I might die from eating your food kind of allergy. I even asked if they had any. Allergies, I mean. And my sweet new friend took the time to lay it all out for me via text which I read. And

Click this link, if you'd rather listen to me read this post. Enjoy! Y’all. People are cheering for you. It may not feel like it right now. You may be in the pit but I promise there are people out there rooting you on. They see you. They have not forgotten about you. Time may have marched on. You may have lived far apart for many years but it doesn’t matter. Things change. People change but most of the time...more often than not, they want you to succeed. I was reminded of that this week in a special way. It’s easier to believe the nay sayers isn’t it? Those who maybe are in your life more regularly and don’t know how to be encouraging. “Nay, nay, nay,” they say. It’s hard to turn aside and remember what is true isn’t it?  As I’m typing this out I know you are thinking of at least one of those people you can encourage. Go ahead and reach out. Text or call her. Send her flower. Or chocolate. Tell her you’re cheering for her