Taryn R. Hutchison's Blog: The Glorious Muddle, page 23

Still Kickin’

My car is 18 years old. It’s the best, most dependable car I’ve ever had. (I’ve only owned four; I tend to keep them forever.) This week, I thought  I’d have to put it out to pasture. I expected to write a R.I.P. post. Without any warning, as we drove home from church, my dear old […]

Battling a Decision

After a semester off, I purposely came back for another round of more grueling mental work. Finally, after much agony, I decided to enroll in my third graduate class in writing. I’m usually decisive, but each semester, I battle over whether I should take another class. And then I try to analyze if the struggle proves that it’s […]

A Week of Milestones

This week in June, two significant anniversaries of major world events share the spotlight. June 4th marks 25 years since the bloody massacre that ended weeks of student-led protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Official numbers state that 200-some were killed, but other estimates place the death toll in the thousands. The uprising was quashed and yet the victims […]

Keeping a Promise

It only took thirteen years. But this week I am keeping a couple of promises. One is to my husband. During my short time living in Orlando (when he was my boyfriend-soon-to-be-fiancé), Steve came to visit me. We had a day free and tried to decide whether to spend it at the Gulf coast or the ocean. […]

Pray for the Balkans!

Please pray for the Balkan countries of former Yugoslavia:  Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia. They are experiencing the worst devastation since the 1992-1995 war. This week, torrential rain fell on the area. It was the heaviest rainfall since they started keeping records 120 years ago. The region received over three months’ worth of rain in just three days. […]

How to Offer Words that bring Comfort

If we’re supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, have you ever wondered how you do that? What if you’ve never come close to experiencing what your friend has? While people who’ve actually walked in another’s shoes have an extra dose of understanding, empathy is still possible for the rest […]

The Antidote to Cumulative Misery

This semester started with sickness - my miserable annual cold – and is ending the same way, like symmetrical bookends. In between, one or the other of us have either been laid up or wishing we had the luxury to be. As soon as I rebounded from my cold, Steve had his carpal tunnel surgery, which rendered him […]

A Life of Extremes

Do you ever feel like your life swings wildly from one extreme to another? And it doesn’t slow down enough for you to enjoy the in-between times? I’ve often felt that way. I do right now.  With all the states and countries I’ve lived in, some spots have been drop-dead gorgeous. For some reason, my next […]

After the Whirlwind

Two whirlwinds left our house yesterday. They filled our lives with giggles, fun memories, and an endless stream of “Why?” questions to try to answer. Our precious granddaughters do not have an “off” switch. They wake up full-energy and it doesn’t dissipate for even one minute until it’s time to crash in bed at night. […]

The Crux of the Matter

Ever notice how we build up to Christmas for months, but give maybe one week to thinking about Easter? But Easter is the most significant celebration of the entire year for Christ-followers. The whole point of Christmas is Easter. The crux of the matter is the cross. The baby born in a manger came for one […]