Kara's Collection

Kara’s Collection: All Here—Today

Kara’s Collection: All Here—Today

from an article originally posted July 29, 2014...

Oh my soul, last night was a great, good night. My smile never faded. I enjoyed Lyle Lovett so much. His voice, his way, his story telling—it was simply an amazing night. I kept thinking last night of a quote from Ann Voskamp: Time is a relentless river. It rages on, a respecter of no one. And this, this is the only way to slow time: When I fully enter time’s swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here.

Kara’s Collection: For the love of life and crooked smiles

Kara’s Collection: For the love of life and crooked smiles

from an article originally posted July 28, 2014...

I am a lover a poetry, especially the poet types that put their poetry to song. In college at Indiana University, when I was idealistic and young-faced, a friend introduced me to the crooked-smiled lover of poetry who happened to sing—Lyle Lovett.

Kara’s Collection: Unexpected Anniversary

Kara’s Collection: Unexpected Anniversary

from an article originally posted July 23, 2014...

I woke beside my love, enjoyed my coffee, reading, editing, then I saw the calendar. Today—2 years ago—the words were spoken, I have received the pathology and you do, in fact, have breast cancer. I heard very little after those words were spoken. She went on to outline our battle plan, to show me the images, to tell me what was to come, but all those words became a blur after she confirmed my cancer.

Kara’s Collection: Oh, the heights and the depths...

Kara’s Collection: Oh, the heights and the depths...

from an article originally posted July 21, 2014...

My heart has been stirred once again by a book I read before Jason asked me to be his. I read it so many years ago when I was filled with ideas of what love should be, imaginings of marriage, and wistful daydreams of love. I read the love story of Sheldon and Davy and grew deep expectations and hope for what my love story would one day become. Now, as I return to the story new nearly 20 years later, I see how I have known love like theirs in many ways, but in different ways. And as I read his words, I am often thinking of my own love for Jesus, my Jason, and my littles. The love story that Jesus has developed in me.

Kara’s Collection: Living Beyond Feelings

Kara’s Collection: Living Beyond Feelings

from an article originally posted July 20, 2014...

I have a dear friend and I often wake to her texts that remind me she’s praying for me. It’s a lovely way to wake. She often will follow up with a question of how I’m feeling, and that text often makes me a little sad. I want to lie, but she is a friend that wants to hear the truth.

You see, I want to feel good. I want to say I’m great. I want to not feel like I feel today. So yesterday I braved a challenge to my dear friend. I asked her to begin to ask me how I’m living. I asked her to ask me how I’m capturing joy, embracing each moment, living—even when I feel like death. And certainly check in on how I’m feeling. That is loving. So loving. But for a mama that has loved her health, it’s hard to embrace this as my new story.