By: Carol McClain        carol_mcclain My friend bought a vacation home on a beautiful lake. For years she’d marvel at her good fortune. Then time passed. It became a small, unremarkable house on a cul-de-sac of million-dollar homes. She lost the wonder. This year, though, she sat on her dock. Fireworks exploded down the cove. The cool …[ read more ]

Carol McClain While hiking, my friend and I discovered these beautiful blue morpho swallowtails. Rarely do they hold still long enough for me to get beautiful pictures, but these three riveted themselves on their dining. That’s where the beauty ends. Nine times out of ten, what are these lovely butterflies–formerly ugly caterpillars who squish green …[ read more ]

@carol_mcclain As stated in last week’s blog dealing with denial (click here to read) , grieving can be for any traumatic issue. In my life, I’m processing grief over multiple losses and problems. However, if you have experienced sexual abuse, domestic turmoil, divorce, racial injustice–well, look at the news headlines–you can plummet into mourning. What bears repeating is: 1. Grief …[ read more ]

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and with that one, is what we are doing.” ― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life It’s the new year, and of course, you’ve made resolutions. Do you want to exercise more? Cook healthy meals? Write a …[ read more ]

@carol_mcclain The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. (Is. 35:1) This last Sunday, Neil and I lit the third Advent candle–the rose one. Joy. Of all things with the recent loss of my mother (not to mention my usual litany of sorrowful things–I …[ read more ]