I think back to 15 years ago today and my world was about to permanently change. Right now it’s 10:15 a.m., Alaskan time, but in the Chicago area it’s one fifteen in the afternoon. At this point, the doctor had started the Pitocin and I was about three hours into delivering Mariana. I was a little less than six hours away from giving birth to her. She took us from being a two to a three. Our little miracle was coming into the world. Little did we know that only eight-and-a-half short years later … [Read more...]
Going through Mari’s stuff
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve started going through Mari’s stuff. I still remember the day we went into the house we’d been renting and sat there packing up every single item that either was Mari’s or we needed for her. Nothing got thrown away. Even her juice cups and light switch covers all got saved. At that point, Mari may have been gone about two to two-and-a-half months. I felt like if I threw something away belonging to her, somehow it’s like I was throwing her away. My grief wouldn’t … [Read more...]
Seeing the Gift
Wow, it's hard to believe that Mari's book is done. I entered the last of the edits to part 2 and sent it off to my editor (my dear sweet friend Deirdre). This day has been almost six years in the making. A week from tonight I will be on a plane heading toward Chicago as I go visit family. But even bigger than this is the reason I'm heading out that way to begin with. ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is having their annual writing conference September 25-27 in St. Louis, MO. I'm … [Read more...]
Was or Is?
I sit here thinking of Mari today. Time is moving one step at a time closer to the six year mark for Mari being gone. Can you believe it’s been six years already? I think back on all the times I wrote about time after she passed, especially that first year or so. The fact is that time continued its ever present trek forward no matter how much we’d rather have had it go backward for either more time with our little girl or for us to somehow change the outcome. Yet, we all know that’s not … [Read more...]
Our website has an addition to the header
I had to share something I'm excited about. Almost a year ago I had a major overhaul of the design of Mari's website redone to give it a fresher, more professional look. At the time when the facelift commenced we were getting ready to move and I didn't really have time to find a picture I thought might look good to add to the header. So the designer installed one with a picture on for the time being until we could get to Alaska and I'd have more time to really find some pictures I thought that … [Read more...]
I had to share this: My Top 3 Spiritual Gifts
I took this, I guess you could call it a quiz today about what my spiritual gifts might be and I think it's pretty accurate, for the most part, only I think #3, Exhorter, is more number one than Mercy, but who knows. So, what do you guys think? do you agree with the assessment about me? Your Top Three Spiritual Gifts (1) Mercy The God-given ability to have immediate compassion for those who are suffering combined with great joy in meeting their needs (E.g. the Good Samaritan in Luke … [Read more...]
Been a little absent
I'm sure those of you who have been following me here have noticed I went silent over the month of December. Most might think it was because of the holidays and in particularly Christmas. The thing is, I was looking forward to Christmas; however, Mari's birthday was December 29 and she would have turned fourteen. Man, fourteen years have come and gone since I gave birth to my precious little girl. Fourteen years. I still remember how difficult my pregnancy had been. How giving birth to her had … [Read more...]
A Change Coming
Well, after much thought and how I'd like to proceed forward with both this site and my author site, I realized that my 365 day journey I've been doing along with the book A Year of Writing Dangerously: 365 Days of Inspiration and Encouragement that it is more appropriate for my author site than here. And the NaBloPoMo I did here the first month then I moved it this month to my author site where it is more appropriate for here. So why not switch them. So starting on December 1, I plan to start … [Read more...]
Day 173: Easy Plays
In life do we stick to a specific script, or schedule, or do we improvise as we go along? Hopefully most of you said improvise. So, why do I say this? Because the best things in life most of the time happen when they are unplanned. Sometimes I wish I could be a better, organized person in my own life. I mean, my cupboards, or dresser drawers, or places like that are organized to the hilt. However, when it comes to my own life I try my very best to keep with a schedule but it never seems to … [Read more...]
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving. It's a time of year where families gather round their tables to eat a big feast of turkey, ham, yams, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, apple pie, pumpkin pie, or whatever family tradition yours might have. But before you eat, many families will go around the table and say what they are thankful for over the past year. Five years ago on this very day I remember how hard it was for me on that first Thanksgiving with Mari gone. (Click here to view the post from … [Read more...]
