Kara's Collection

Kara’s Collection: Grace for the Moment

Kara’s Collection: Grace for the Moment

from an article originally posted August 25, 2014…  

One of the hardest aspects of disease is the unbalanced priority it places on the one that is sick. It’s an impossible balance to face. As a mama, one wants to be the platform from which your children spring into the heights and depths of life. I have always wanted to be the safe landing place, the bright spring board, the solid place from which my children leap into the very best of life. As a mama, I’m their living example of goodness in faith. I point, pray, prepare my children to leap from the safety of my faith and jump into a walk with Jesus all their own. It is my joy, my high calling, and my delight to live the truth of faith before my children.

Kara’s Collection: Struggling Attitude

Kara’s Collection: Struggling Attitude

from an article originally posted August 24, 2014…

I am really struggling this round of bad news. Typically I struggle for a time, a moment, a day, then I get on board with the plan and move into peace, joy, extending myself beyond what I feel able for the joy of each day. I still feel the momentary feeling of I’m here, thank you, but I’m struggling with the unfolding plan.

Kara’s Collection: Smooching Pastor’s Kid

Kara’s Collection: Smooching Pastor’s Kid

from an article originally posted August 22, 2014…  

Oh, my soul, this place, this place has been so heavy, so hard, so riddled with bad news. I NEED to tell you something funny. Please humor me. As you can surmise, my kids are pastor’s kids. Let the stereotypes begin. I once lived in the rigid pew lifestyle where my kids were made to perform great acts of silence for the duration of the service. I felt it was a reflection on me, my parenting, my togetherness. Yuck. There were good moments, love moments, but I lived in the stereotype of my idea of how one should “behave” in church. Especially a pastor’s kid. Yuck.

Kara’s Collection: When the Doctor Calls...

Kara’s Collection: When the Doctor Calls...

from an article originally posted August 21, 2014…

When the doctor calls and humbly says he decided to change his mind. When the offer he gives you feels impossible. When he offers you the hard you are already experiencing and wants to add more impossible—he wants to return you to bald, desperate, awful—you simply weep.

Kara’s Collection: Dear Cancer

Kara’s Collection: Dear Cancer

from an article originally posted August 19, 2014…

Dear Cancer,

There are a few things I’d like to say to you this morning. A lot of what I want to say is salty and ugly, but I will do my best to use the nice words and not the ones that often get dropped too easily around my house. Cancer, you are and always have been an unwelcome guest in the home of me. But I thought we could work it out, I thought we could fight on Tuesday, you would see I kept house poorly and you would leave. We planned on that. We worked on that. I fought to not hate you as you took unwelcome residence in my body.