We’ve all done it, perhaps some more than others. It usually surfaces when we are at a crossroad, an important decision, or an uncomfortable spot. Sometimes it is in response to something really terrible; a death, a loss, or an extreme sin we find within. It flashes through the mind of almost everyone who loves… Continue reading Free From Seeking God’s Will
My six-year-old son tugs expectantly on the back of my shirt. It is usually quite hectic around 11:30am in my kitchen, making lunch for 9 people. I shift the baby to my other hip and peel the two-year-old off of my leg so that I can kneel down to speak with him in the middle… Continue reading Happiness is for Babies
I saw it in my dream or future. When I will put my gods to sleep. Now's not the time. It's too soon. Or way too late. Now They numb, gnawing my nerves stinging like pleasures. They stroke, scraping their nails, across my surfaces. They kiss, biting icy dry lips underneath my glosses. I feel… Continue reading When the Time Comes
Hands in her lap. Eyes clenched shut. Black swells of emotion rush from deep behind her eyes down to the pit of her stomach. Sketchy scenes replay from her past as if from a damaged filmstrip. Shameful thoughts and conversations bring an uncontrollable shudder from the depths of her soul. For a second, she lets… Continue reading Broken is Not Enough
Every morning, a great light sparkles on the horizon. A downpour of warmth rushes over a dark and sleepy landscape. Sometimes covered by clouds, sometimes shining in solitary glory, the sun covers our planet with a predictable pattern that we almost daily forget. The sun continues to show up, lighting up the world even without… Continue reading Sunshine, Rainbows, and Screaming Babies
Just when I thought everything was ok. Someone comes along and says those unexpected words. “I forgive you.” Immediately something turns in my stomach. The dread of exposure washes over me. Someone else has seen my dirty secret. Someone else has recognized that hidden path that I have been following. I didn’t even know I… Continue reading Angry at the Gospel
He was tired. Of running. Of caring. Of worrying. He was just so tired. A sliver of shade from a dying tree was the only place he could find to rest. But it wasn’t real rest. He just couldn’t move anymore. It all had been too much. Exhausted. Dry mouth and out of breath. It… Continue reading Get Up and Eat
Stones on her path, always wanted to touch them But always just wandering, running right past Smooth, hard, she finally did it one day Reached out with her fingers, velvet soft And took for herself. Just this once. She could throw it in the ocean Skip it over the waves Break the boundaries of endless… Continue reading Lucky Stone
There are too many things that a mother must worry about when raising her children. Food, clothing education, self-esteem, friends, physical activity, bad influences, good grades. But there is one thing that outweighs all of the little things that may keep her up at night. And strangely enough, many parents don’t give it a second… Continue reading Tell Their Story
She wondered how long she had been there. It started to feel like a long time only because her feet began to ache. But she could not stop her endless march down the shiny laminate paths. One foot plodded in front of the other as she tried not to count her steps. She was not… Continue reading Still Walking
Cindy Koch 