Late one Saturday afternoon when my son was four years old, I left the house to celebrate the impending arrival of a friend’s baby. Upon returning home and tucking my child into bed, he asked, “Did the baby get all clean, Mommy?” I replied, “Sweetie, the baby hasn’t been born yet. But, why did youContinue reading “NEWLY His”
Author Archives: Nicki Dechert Carlson
REASSURINGLY His
I returned to in-person worship inside my church building two weeks ago, for the first time in a year. When the world as we knew it came to an abrupt stop, I imagined a return to worship filled with jubilant singing, clapping, and shouts of praise, punctuated by a buoyant, contagious energy. The room wouldContinue reading “REASSURINGLY His”
EMOTIONALLY His
This morning I sipped a cup of coffee and just cried. I cried with gratitude. I cried with exhaustion. I cried with relief, thanks, frustration, weariness, and empathy. Let’s be real: We just survived a natural disaster in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s ok to not be ok. “Unprecedented times” fatigue continues toContinue reading “EMOTIONALLY His”
CERTAINLY His
I remember the moment with a mixture of pride-filled validation as well as shame. I had just arrived back at school after a morning pre-Kindergarten field trip with my five-year-old son. As the children were set loose on the playground to let out their wiggles, one of my son’s sweet classmates cuddled up against myContinue reading “CERTAINLY His”
LUMINOUSLY His
As I tucked my pint-sized, three-year-old son in for the night, he frantically looked up at me and asked, “Mommy! Where’s my white boy?” Confused, I repeated back to him, “Your white boy?” “Yes! He’s not here. I want him.” My maternal brain started flipping through a catalogue of toys, trying to figure outContinue reading “LUMINOUSLY His”
JOYFULLY His
“Stop saying that so rudely every time I interrupt you!” said one of my children, who shall remain nameless. It was quite a mouthful, and so indicative of the way so many of us converse these days. Indignation, disgust, refusing to listen to another’s viewpoint or opinion, and outrage seem to be cornerstones of today’sContinue reading “JOYFULLY His”
SECURELY His
This morning I spent five minutes buckling myself into an ankle brace so I could play tennis. I’m healing from a severe ankle sprain, and although I really dislike the push-and-pull battle of strapping myself into this contraption, I am grateful it allows me to hit the courts again. I may not enjoy the constricted,Continue reading “SECURELY His”
DIFFERENTLY His
A lot of LIFE has happened since I last wrote a blog – cancer diagnoses, surgeries, heart attacks, a global pandemic and quarantine, a suspended school year that required me to suddenly become a homeschool teacher, a new school year, buying a house, selling a house, and moving with a severely sprained ankle – justContinue reading “DIFFERENTLY His”
PEACEFULLY His
“Shhhh!” Johnathan urgently whispered. “There’s a fake man sleeping in my room!” My then-four-year-old caught me off-guard with his instructions. On the one hand, he was adamant that everyone in the house conform to his imaginary world; on the other hand, his own words betrayed him when he described the man as “fake.” IContinue reading “PEACEFULLY His”
ETERNALLY His
I routinely dropped my son off at school one morning, and watched as he climbed out of the back seat. I offered my typical, “Bye, sweetie!” He replied, “Bye sweetie Mommy,” quickly closed the door, and off he went. I sat in the car for a moment, giggling at his funny farewell. This was decidedlyContinue reading “ETERNALLY His”
