Luke 18:35-41As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted [...]
It is approximately 4pm.With Amelia on my hip, I rifle through the pantry to get a jump on dinner. The measuring spoon occupying her curious hands drops to the floor for the fifth time in three minutes. Breathe. I bend low and return it to her tiny palm.And while it seems so trivial, another part of me feels the significance of that decision to [...]
After a few days of concentrated time at home–After I confessed my own flippancy from the prior weeks–After I began to accept that my paid work would be completed (or not) around Amelia's day–After I realized that grocery runs needed to be strategic– I noticed the conflict. – It feels strange to taste and see the apparent goodness of [...]
One mid-afternoon a few weeks ago, the warmer temperature beckoned me outside. Amelia was about due for a nap, so I secured her snug against my chest, walked down our lane and back, and headed toward the wooden swing in our woods that overlooks the ravine. After rocking for a while, we emerged from the woods into [...]
The Christmas tree still stands in the living room corner because parting with the lights is an annual struggle. But I completed a simple year-end reflection, welcomed the new year by going to bed at 10pm, and have since been thinking about goals and resets and not confusing fresh vision with what I perceive to be the ideal version [...]
Maternity leave is a weird time to start something new (for obvious reasons). So is the month of December, with all her festivity and glow. But there comes a point when you realize that, actually, there is no good time, and if you don’t step into the thing now, you might not ever. – Amelia came [...]
The date on my last blog post (October 1st) wouldn't give you the impression that I've been writing much. And publicly, I haven't. But the last several months, my journal pages have been overflowing with Scripture, punctuated by questions, and a welcome place to articulate the various ways God meets me in all of it. [...]
A curving road bends with the shape of the river, and two minutes on its course and you feel apart from the city, all her rush left behind. Five point five miles worth of towering trees lush with late summer, plowed fields with pockets of rainwater, and occasional groupings of mailboxes and horses, and the [...]
The library wanted their book back. I maxed out the number of renewals allowed (three) and was acutely aware of how many pages I had yet to read (too many to finish without a marathon reading session). So I did what I had to do, stayed in my pajamas, and read. Everyone Brave is Forgiven captured [...]
I watched my 2.5-year-old niece try to poke the straw into the juice pouch, in equal parts clumsiness and determination. Despite multiple asks on my end - "Nora, can I help you with that?" - her eyes stayed fixed on that stubborn yellow straw held tight between her little fist, prodding, slipping, bending. This is [...]
Mallory R. Manning 