I always talk about following Jesus as the way to life, and I believe that deep down in my bones. I also know deep down in those same bones that the way to this life often starts with death – as annoying as that can be. The last couple of years of my life have…
Note: This piece was written three years ago, on the first birthday after my sister’s death. It was unpublished until today, on what would now be my sister’s 52nd birthday. I still wish we could have gone to Florida. Today my sister would have turned 49. It is impossible for me not to think of…
I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken at a church or event and had a woman tell me afterwards: “This is the first time I have ever heard a woman preach.” I’m never quite sure how to respond. I usually say something like: “I’m glad you could see that.” Then I leave…
This morning I thought: “I don’t know if I can make it to the end of January.” It was 8 a.m. and there was not even a sliver of sun to be seen. It was cold. It was dreary. The kids were wound up and stir crazy. I was still sniffing and coughing from my…
It has been a long, dark, loud November for me. This month has felt like a downward spiral from difficult to devastating, and the increasing darkness that comes with the longer nights of this month has well reflected how the world feels around me. To be clear, it hasn’t been anything personal going awry in…
Today I brought my daughter to the fracture clinic at our local children’s hospital for a final check up on her arm (she broke her elbow in September). Her appointment was 11:15 and when I called to see if I could change it to later in the day to better work in my schedule, the…
I often struggle to say no. Not always – there are some instances where I find saying no a cinch. For example: “Leanne, would you like to go on a run?” My response? “No, I would not.” Or: “Leanne, can you help me fix my computer?” My answer: “No, that is not something I will…
One of my favourite children’s books is the classic “Going on a Bear Hunt.” You may have read it, but if not, let me give you a summary. The book reads like a poem, or a song, with a rhythm and meter as you read. The refrain is: “Going on a bear hunt, gonna catch…
A couple of weeks ago, my husband Dallas and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. Truth be told, we don’t always do anniversaries super well. We got married at the end of August, and every year by the time our anniversary comes we are in the post vacation we-spent-a-lot-of-money-already-and-we-don’t-want-to-spend-more phase of the summer. Still, we…
When it comes to travel, I have come to realize that there are two realities: the trip that you picture having and the trip that you actually have. I’m not sure if I had a lot of ideas about my trip to Lebanon before I left, because it was so beyond the realm of something…
Leanne Friesen 