“The world is not in your books and maps, it’s out there.” -Gandalf the Grey What I love about moving is the expectation, the future mystery of new, sweet friends and new community– all ways of seeing God. It’s hearing new stories and walking the road, hard and narrow and holy as it is. I’m not a fool to think that it’s all easy. But there is Life in all of it. Gandalf called Bilbo out into the unknown adventure, and... Read more
“Without your wounds, where would your power be? It is your melancholy that makes your low voice tremble into the hearts of men and women. The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can one human being broken on the wheels of the living. In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve. Physician, draw back.” -Thornton Wilder A few weeks ago I felt like I was choking for days, my breath short and my... Read more
“Limiting the resurrection either to the past or to the future makes the present risenness of Jesus largely irrelevant, safeguards us from interference with the ordinary rounds and daily routine of our lives, and preempts communion now with Jesus as a living person.” -Brennan Manning For Mother’s Day we took a late afternoon trip to the lake– a small one tucked near our town, the perfect surface and size for kayaking. The boys wore white t-shirts and swim shorts, and we... Read more
to labor: to strive, as toward a goal Travis, Throughout our marriage, we’ve been goal-setters, dreamers, task-setters of the most eclectic kind. Our goals are goals of adventure, goals of added simplicity or getting grades done, of writing more and reading deeper; they’re goals fixed in finding Spirit in our midst, of finding each other’s eyes despite the chaos whirling around us. So to labor is to strive toward a goal, and to co-labor is to do it hand in... Read more
Last week, the local farmer’s market opened for the season. If there is one thing that gives this city constant beauty, it’s this market. Vendors gather along all four sides of the downtown “square” to sell glorious flowers, fresh fruits and veggies, homemade soap, hand-crafted items, and more. Musicians cover every corner and compete for the spare change of passers-by. Our first summer here, I grabbed my guitar and found a quiet spot near a woman named Beth. It’s been my... Read more
Our first son started out with two names. We walked into the packed gym, my belly swollen and my ankles puffy; he was due in a month or so, but I felt the ache in my body like I was going to give birth any moment. This was a late birthday present: a Switchfoot show, a much needed date after 8 months of severe sickness and fatigue. We prayed about what this show might speak to us, because Jon Foreman’s... Read more
There was a water stain on the ceiling tile, and someone was talking about the mystery of God. I looked at that stain and saw the process of the water, slowly seeping into the cracks and seams…seeping until some sort of shape formed. So it seems to be with God, who slowly pours Himself into our pores until a shape takes form, until we see Him as something beautiful, yet still unknown. Mystery. What is the shape of God? What... Read more
She comes to the side door to pick him up. A rhythmed knock followed by a high-pitched, “YOO-HOO!!!” He dashes about the house, throwing clothes on and shouting, “Suzan’s here!” He runs out, greets her giant Buster dog, and takes off down the drive with a quick good-bye wave of his hand, no looking back. She’s his Suzan. His other grandma. His best friend & partner in crime. They go on walks when it’s warm. They jump in puddles and... Read more
Both boys woke up in the middle of the night last night. As I sat rocking Isaiah in the living room recliner, I tried my best to see the clock through blurry eyes– sometime between 3 and 4, I think. I ask myself in these rare and painful moments what to do. I could scroll through Facebook and post my woes, browse fashion ideas on Pinterest or check unread emails. But the last thing I need in the middle of... Read more
At night, I nurse Isaiah to sleep while Travis reads books in bed with Eliot and then sings him to slumber. In my day, it’s the quiet reprieve, some of my most cherished moments. I read while I wait for Travis to come out, or I read until I think he’s dozed off by Eliot’s side in bed. We whistle for each other when we need each other but don’t want to yell–so I whistle, and wait for him to... Read more
Stories - with Kaitlin B. Curtice
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In