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 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,... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 9, 2012 | children, church, Easter, God, holiness, Jesus, risen, sled, snow, snowmobile, wilderness
sometimes there is a rightness to the world. as though the earth is humming with angels’ songs and all you have to do is hush, to hear it.we attended church this easter sunday, and the sermon was good and convicting and solid. but we also rode for half an hour... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 6, 2012 | brown skin, children, cross, Easter, Jesus, love, peace
My foster son is sitting at the white table, the little one I bought at Superstore. He’s coloring. “When I’m old, Jesus is going to make me a Fisher of Man,” says Joey. I listen from my laptop. “Like Opa, or Uncle Phil. Uncle Phil likes fishing.” Joey is new to church... by Emily Wierenga | Apr 1, 2012 | cross, death, disappointment, Easter, hope, Jesus, killed, Palm Sunday, sadness
Jesus was destined to disappoint.he says this from the pulpit, and i see her, the girl who sits in the front row with her mother. the girl with no hair and no leg, who’s lost everything to chemo, and yet, she’s in church.the children march in with palm...