This past week, with Mother’s Day, I was asked (again):“What’s it like having nine kids?” Now, let’s be clear. Size does not matter. But it can sure feel like it does. Large families tend to invite wide-eyed questions, whispered comments in the grocery line, or nods of awe, as if I climbed Everest with a baby carrier. I get it. Nine is not subtle. But I never chased a number. I wasn’t collecting children like…
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During this past spring’s spiritual formation program residency, my instructor noted that the average time someone spends looking at a piece of art in a museum is just 21 seconds. Glancing is the hurried impulse to see it all.Gazing is something altogether differenta willingness to let everything else fall away,to focus wholly on one thing. The Cliffs by Jules Breton – National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Photo taken 3/17/25 The image above is currently…
Leave a CommentMany years ago, while attending a student event, I found myself engaged in an unexpected conversation. Over sodas and cake, a parent turned to me and asked, “Mary, do you really believe people can change?” I was taken aback. Such a deep question posed so casually. Do people really change? This question has lingered in my mind, resurfacing time and time again in different seasons of my life. I often return to it through the…
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As a child, summer nights meant one thing—flashlight tag. It was thrilling, a mix of fear and excitement. Our large home provided the perfect setting. A ledge on two corners allowed us to set the flashlight down, keeping everyone guessing whether “It” was holding the flashlight or if it was safe to sneak past. We knew the terrain well—where the flower beds lined one side, the covered stairs led to the basement, and how to…
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What does a conjunction—a part of speech that connects contrasting ideas—have to do with hearing God? In the case of “but,” it becomes a bridge between despair and hope, between our human frailty and God’s sufficiency. This small yet powerful word helped me discern the difference between the enemy’s voice of self-condemnation and God’s voice of love. Many years ago, I joined a group of wise, older women reading Peter Lord’s Hearing God. It was…
2 CommentsMary’s Easy-to-Use Calendar to Connect! The Good and Beautiful God https://www.carolynarends.com Carolyn Arends – All Flame Carolyn Arends – In the Morning Buff Puff facial sponge
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