• Motherhood

    Is Your Gift in the Closet?

    My husband and I handed him the bag with the two gifts inside. We had saved up all year to buy expensive soccer cleats and a ball, and anxiously awaited our young son’s birthday to see his face when he opened them. “My ball!” he said as he hugged the first one and started running out the backdoor. “Wait!” I yelled. “There’s another gift inside the bag!” “But you need them to play better!” my husband said hoping to lure him back. “Later!” he responded, uninterested in what we had sacrificed so much to buy. This experience reminded me how God the Father sacrificed His Most Precious Treasure, Jesus, so…

  • Motherhood

    A Lesson in Love

    I grew up surrounded by a large family in a time when life lacked the current technology but overflooded with imagination and simplicity. My childhood was easy and full of everything I needed and wanted. I graduated from high school and went away to college. My younger sister followed a year later and my youngest sister a year after that. My life continued to be carefree and relaxed. I traveled with friends to the beach on Spring Break, attended every concert in the state and shopped at the mall every weekend. Mom and Dad called every Sunday evening. I was quick to tell them every detail about my busy life,…

  • Motherhood

    The Great Exchange

    “Hurry up, we don’t have much time!” my husband rushed into the kitchen. We grabbed a cup of coffee and headed to the kitchen table. The race track was set. On the left: boxes and wrapping paper. On the right: scissors and tape. Pine scented candles and holiday music served as happy spectators. The oven timer served as the referee that would blow his whistle in the two hours, right before the kids came home from school. “On your mark, get set, go!” he laughed. “And remember to save the receipts in case we have to return anything.” As the race against time began, I admired the gifts. We carefully…

  • The Other Side of Medicine

    Do You Believe in Miracles?

    He walked into the ICU like he did every day, except his heart weighed heavier than usual. He had been chosen by the patient’s family to deliver the news, a heart wrenching task which was harder than his fourteen years of medical training. Family members had spent days in the waiting room, praying for their dear mother and trusting that the doctors were doing their best to get her well. He held the lady’s hand and took a deep breath. “You know you’ve been in a coma, and we didn’t know if you were going to make it.” He looked away, praying for the right words. “Unfortunately, in order to…

  • Life Lessons

    The Day My Feast Failed

    The smell of roasted turkey with all the trimmings permeated the air of our rented house. It was our first Thanksgiving in a new country, so I tried to make it an extra special feast by cooking everyone’s favorite foods. “Dinner’s ready!” I tried to encourage them with my fake excitement. My husband and three children marched in silently, took their seats and stared at the food. “Thanks mom, but I’m not hungry,” my oldest daughter mumbled. “I’m not either,” chimed the other one. “Where’s everyone else?” asked my youngest as he started eating , oblivious of the fact that our families were hundreds of miles away. “No one else…