Remembering Gabby

Our dog, Gabby, died on a Thursday in April. It’s been over a year. The day was unusually cool, filled with brilliant sunshine, and kissed by a gentle breeze. She was fourteen and a half years old.

The Perfect Lamb

As Passover approaches, I find my thoughts turning more and more to Jesus, and his final days on the earth. The world was in chaos when he came on the scene. Rome’s oppression of the Jews had them looking in earnest for the long-awaited Messiah to come riding in and save the day. Surely, he would soon break the Roman yoke from their necks.

Terri R MillerApril 14, 2022 Comments

I Do, Again

Four days after Christmas my niece, Mary, floated down a wooden staircase on a cloud of white lace and ruffles into a new life. I wondered, as I almost always do on these occasions, whether or not the new bride and groom could possibly know what they were getting themselves into.

Terri R MillerMarch 6, 2022 Comments

New Year's Hesitation

At the close of each year, I stand on the threshold of the next and feel a certain sense of apprehension. If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that change is inevitable.

Love Has Come

As I sat there basking in the light that peered through the branches, I was filled with thankfulness for its warmth on my face and the way previously unseen spiderwebs that stretched across the lawn now sparkled like strings of diamonds.

Terri R MillerDecember 23, 2021 Comments

Substance and Evidence

A tropical storm was on course to crash our annual family and friends vacation. It was roughly two days out, and already the sea was choppy and the winds brisk. After nightfall, we grabbed some flashlights and made our way to the pier just off the pool area located inside the gated community we would call home for the next few days.

Terri R MillerNovember 2, 2021 Comments

In the Tent

It is the season of the Jewish feast known as Sukkot. A harvest festival also often referred to as the Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time each year, Israel is to live in booths or temporary tents to remind them of the wilderness journey of their ancestors from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Terri R MillerSeptember 24, 2021#sukkot, #lifeismoments, #sukkah, #tentadventures Comments

A Meditation on Psalm 84

My thoughts can take me to dark places. My imagination conjures up a bleak future while the pessimistic me wonders what calamity is next.

Terri R MillerAugust 31, 2021#lifeismoments, #traveler, #dwellingplace, #elul, #pilgrimage, #calmthestorm Comments

Bearing Daddy's Likeness

I peered up at him and promptly responded, “I look just like my daddy.” With that, I resumed my infinite loop.

Terri R MillerJuly 24, 2021#justlikedaddy, #lifeismoments, #fathersday, #daddysgirl Comments

The Secret of Being Content

Then right in the middle of spring bliss there’s a random day when the temperature reaches eighty-two, just warm enough that the air takes on a thicker, heavier feel. The slightest hint of moisture appears across the bridge of my nose causing my sunglasses to slip down while I’m working the flower beds. Suddenly, the elation I’d experienced the day before evaporates. Oh no. I’m not for summer.

Terri R MillerMay 19, 2021#thanksfulheart, #lifeismoments, #hereandnow, #joyfilled Comments

For Mama

I have memories from my childhood that come back to me in flashes and echos. Memories of me in front of my bedroom mirror, Mama’s brushing my thick, waist-length hair. As she brushes she says, “You’re so beautiful” and “You can do anything you want to do.”

Terri R MillerMay 8, 2021#mothersday, #mamaknows, #lifeismoment, #thingsmamataughtmeComment

Birthday Presence

The subject of my birthday came up and the fact that I am now fifty-five, and then, as though it had not been blatantly obvious until that moment, the stunning realization that sixty is only five years away came crashing down on me. I started to cry.

Terri R MillerApril 13, 2021#lifeismoments, #fulllife, #birthdaygift, #deepthoughtsComment

Adjusting My Focus

The preceding weeks had been hard. I was tired and discouraged. Viruses, quarantines, and riots had me feeling overwhelmed. I longed for something to lift the weight from my shoulders. Chores and bills and the general responsibility of catching up after a week of working a full-time job would have to wait. I wanted to lose myself in child’s play and not have to think about when the next toilet paper shortage would strike.

Terri R MillerFebruary 9, 2021lifeismoments, #eyestosee, #childsplay, #philippians48 Comment

The Meaning of the Season

This Christmas feels different. Quite frankly, I’ve had a hard time getting into the spirit of it. There’s a heaviness weighing me down. If I’m honest, it’s been there for a while.