Friday Tidings

While exploring our woodland acreage , our granddaughter staked out a trail that led to a place where she could be by herself in nature. She turned to Papa and said, “Can you make me a little bench?” Together they chose some beautiful pieces of maple wood .  But she had one very specific request about where it should go — “I want to sit where I can’t see any buildings.” She had to return home before the bench was finished, but Papa brought it to her house so she could try it out before it found its permanent place in our woods. Now, as the leaves are falling all around, I decided to place her bench in that special spot she picked out.  I sat there for a few quiet minutes, just to see what she saw. And I realized that in her childlike wisdom , she had the right idea all along. Look away from what we’ve built, and look instead to what God has created. In the midst of everything that is happening around us, if you can find a quiet place in nature , — even for a mom...

Wednesday evening, we were FaceTiming our son when he surprised his father with a gift. That’s getting ahead of my story—but it’s a gift that ties the past and present together. Baseball and boyhood always seemed a natural blend for life in our little cabin. With such a small home, we spent much of our time outdoors. From a young age, our son Tommy would pick up a driftwood bat and hit rocks into the ocean, carefully copying the swings of the Mariners line-up. Baseball became the stuff of his dreams, and with a player like Ken Griffey Jr., it was easy to find a hero. But the real thrill was making the trip to Seattle to see the Mariners in person. We’d take the ferry, walk to the stadium, and wait at the gate with the hope of catching an autograph. At the time, we didn’t know those outings would become indelible memories. But they shaped him. Tommy became one of them —a lifelong Mariners fan . That comes with a cost. Every new season begins with anticipation, and too often ends wit...

Sometimes when the world’s noise gets too loud,   I grow quiet, and play my piano more.   I just feel more reflective this week, so I’ll share a photo. Yes, it’s from the past, but it also points to the future. It’s why so many of us go to work for those we love. We often carry tomorrow’s weight, even though today is where we are. When we take a quick break to scroll online to catch up with life around us, it's hard to miss the discouragement and division. But what if our online algorithms make it harder to see the common ground we actually share? I think that’s true—especially when it comes to how we care for those we love and the kind of future we want them to have. So each day, I hope we show up with love—stronger than any division we see “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11