by Emily Wierenga | May 7, 2012 | God, hardship, hope, ice, jasper, kids, marriage, prayer, snowboarding
“The earth is my shoe,” Trent says.He’s walking barefoot from the hot tub to the cabin. “For most people, every step is the same. For me, it’s all new. One step is smooth. Another, pokey, another, rough… every step is an adventure.”The sun seems brighter here in... by Emily Wierenga | May 4, 2012 | children, college, laundry, love, marriage, mary oliver, mountains, romance
“to live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” (mary oliver)it’s not that we don’t... by Emily Wierenga | May 2, 2012 | belly buttons, children, church, community, family, God, humanity, imperfect prose on thursdays, Jesus, mothers
(guest host today: tara pohlkotte)”mama, why do we have these?” my son asks lifting his shirt and running a fingerover his belly button.i explained that through it mama was able to keep him fed, keep him growing,sustained life deep within.”but why do... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 30, 2012 | anne lamott, fear, Jesus, lilies, minister's daughter, tattoo
trent warns me before i leave for the city, “don’t get it if you sense the spirit telling you no.”i nod into the rearview, pray for courage to deny myself the ink, because it’s my mother’s day gift to myself. this tattoo designed by a... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 27, 2012 | bible, children, chocolate, Christ, feature posts, God, imperfect prose on thursdays, Jesus, love
sometimes it tastes like a hot cup of coffee while the boys watch backyardigans in ninja turtle pajamas. for my husband, love tastes like lime chips and homemade salsa, and for kasher, it tastes like breast-milk. but he is being weaned and so love will soon taste... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 25, 2012 | ann voskamp, children, cross, desert, giveaway, heart, imperfect prose on thursdays, Jesus, love, mother letters, motherhood, oasis, seth and amber haines
i hear it on the cat in the hat while i’m feeding the boys goldfish crackers. “if you want to find water in the desert, you have to look in the right places.”i pause, suddenly aware of how thirsty i am, and the cartoon character continues, “but... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 22, 2012 | belief, buds, emily dickinson, faith, family, flowers, God, heaven, hope, Jesus, katie davis, springtime, waiting
the birds have descended. flocking to fields filled with water, and when they rise their wings sound like hundreds of blankets being aired out in the breeze. they glint in the sun, these trumpet swans and mallards and pintail ducks and snowbirds, like guitar strings,... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 20, 2012 | anne of green gables, books, classics, feature posts, imperfect prose on thursdays, library, literature, purpose magazine, reading, treasure island, winnie the pooh
The smell of ancient paper still makes me want to sob, the way spines line up like soldiers on the wooden shelves of small-town libraries. I know they would defend me if they could, those armies of words. I will never understand the intrigue of a bookless library, of... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 18, 2012 | brian miller, death, God, grieving, imperfect prose on thursdays, life, loss, religion, students, virginia tech shooting, waystation one
Distraction. Pain. Confusion. Anxiety. Wave after wave, with no idea where it is coming from—I sit at my desk fighting it for what seems like hours but the clock tells me thirty minutes.’I am sorry. I have to leave. I can’t tell you why, because I... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 16, 2012 | canoeing, hope, hurting, Jesus, love, pain, return, river, salvation, spring, world
trent talks about the river like it’s an old friend. it’s pregnant with spring, and we’re canoeing its curves. joey and aiden and opa and trent, through the fields, heading home. we stop to portage over fallen trees and when joey isn’t talking,...