Posts by Trinda Jocelyn

By Andrea Muirhead I have just turned forty. I don’t feel forty. Not sure what forty is supposed to feel like. I recently had a chiropractor tell me that I had some natural degeneration that is caused by growing older and an eye tech tell me that my prescription was the same, for now. I guess that is what forty feels like. Some of you are laughing at me because you’ve been there, done that, and you are feeling fine. Some of you can’t imagine what forty might feel like. I guess I’m in the middle of you all. I…

Jennifer Wallace When I first heard the song with the lyrics, “My eyes are dry, my prayers are cold, my heart is hard, my faith is old…” I was probably in grade 12 or my first year at Bible College. I was likely 18 or 19 years old.   The song by Keith Green was released in 1978 and had already been around for 16 or 17 years.   But the song was new to me and I connected to its message and sang it with enthusiasm. I was hardly old and didn’t have much reason to be hard and cold. Life…

Sue Bland Pablo Picasso said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” I would say the same about “play”. All children have a natural ability to play – the question is – how do we keep the spirit of play alive in ourselves once we are adults?” Let me come clean. I am an amateur artist, and I love to create art with others. Art, for me, is a form of play, exploration, expression, sheer fun, and prayer. Weaving these passions together, I offer art PLAYshops – a variant of “workshops”…

By Katie Pippus I love words! I love learning new words! I love coming across new words as I’m reading and then trying to guess the definition before I look it up. I was attempting to look up a new word the other night and my phone auto-corrected the word I wanted and replaced it with “joy”. Without realizing what had happened, I hit search. joy: (noun, /joi/)  a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. “tears of joy” The definition was unremarkable. If I had been asked to define joy, my definition would have been similar to this. But what…

Roberta Watts Beth has a past. A rough, rocky past. Drugs. Prostitution. Living on the street. Not just a short past. A long history. Self-induced suffering. Beth was in an accident which left her with some brain damage. As if things couldn’t get worse. I hardly know Beth. But I know all about her struggles because Beth has a mother. I know Beth’s mother. I know her well. I have watched her struggle for years to find a balance. That fine knife’s edge balances between serving her daughter’s needs without enabling her addictions. I have stood and watched this amazing…

Mira Krahn I’m a talker. Give me two minutes to make an announcement at church, and I’ll stretch it to three. Plan for a one-hour coffee date, but be prepared to return home two hours later. I know my gift of gab has brought moments of exasperation to my family, but I’ve also noticed times that it’s been appreciated. Sometimes, it’s a personal story I share with a friend to encourage him through a tough time. Sometimes, it’s a hysterical account I retell–the kind that improves with each re-enactment–that leaves my aunties in stitches. Other times, it’s a recitation of…

Leslie Dempsey In the spring of 2014, my Mother, who was 90 at the time, was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth. She endured a very extensive surgery to remove part of her cheek, tongue, and throat. My brother, Bill, and his wife lovingly took her into their home to care for her during her recovery. Bill’s retirement last year allowed him to spend quality time with Mom daily: having discussions, reminiscing, and making new memories. Over the past year, Mom’s short term memory has faded. Bill shows such patience and understanding, and reassures her over and over. Earlier this…