Random – Beth Bates

Inside Out

I cringed so hard, my body folded in on itself and turned inside out. My vessels now hang out in the sun to dry; I put food into my oral cavity but it has nowhere to go and rots in my new skintestines. I’m losing weight, since my stomach is on the outside of myContinue reading “Inside Out”

Working in the Dark

Blind woman who gets lost from the curb to the door of her workplace: “It’s hard when you’re in the dark all the time. It’s always dark for me.” Vocational counselor: “But you’ll be so good at getting around, better than your friends who can see. Your sighted friends can only see in the light,Continue reading “Working in the Dark”

Do Acts of Social Justice Count if They’re Compensated? Or am I just a goat?

Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, Continue reading “Do Acts of Social Justice Count if They’re Compensated? Or am I just a goat?”

Jesus wasn’t in my Bible this morning (but he was on my porch)

So, like the good evangelical Christian woman I never was, I made myself go to a quiet place to exercise the spiritual disciplines of Bible study and prayer. Coffee cup in hand, I settled into the comfy brown chair on my screened porch feeling the warmth of the morning sun on my face. I swattedContinue reading “Jesus wasn’t in my Bible this morning (but he was on my porch)”

Jen Sherrick Shot My Babies and My Heart

(With her Canon.) This photographer sees the beauty I see in my children and captures it on film. More examples in a later post, but check this artist’s work on Jen’s website. And see the cutie brother and sister on her blog! Yep, on the July 14 post, them’s my babies! Here’s the headshot JackContinue reading “Jen Sherrick Shot My Babies and My Heart”

No Fear in the Light

God is good. He just is. Luke 12:2-3 There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.Continue reading “No Fear in the Light”

A Milestone Letter from Camp

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Are the words true? Can I trust the words? Whose words are they? And is no news good news? Today, on my son’s fourth day of camp, my husband brought the mail in and announced, “Mail call! A letter from camp!” Last year my son went to campContinue reading “A Milestone Letter from Camp”

My Wicked Funny Husband

My husband is hilarious. It’s one of the many reasons I love him. Another appealing quality is his natural ability to Get Things Done. He’s a strong, assertive man. Forceful yet smooth. Take, for instance, our trip to Chicago last weekend. After our “Wicked” matinee, I decided we’d try one of the top restaurants inContinue reading “My Wicked Funny Husband”

Doh! Wrong door!

Seriously, welcome. This is that one room in your house where you throw the stuff that has nowhere else to be stored and shut the door tight. Enter at your own risk and careful not to hurt yourself. There might be a sharp object or two on the floor. Wear shoes.