Some Ways We Are Alike

1. We both love the Lord with all hearts. We pray together at least twice a week and feel that prayer is a real activator for heavenly action.

2. We love writing and especially writing together about the Lord.

3. We love hanging out with each other when we can, not often as I live in Denver and she lives in Newport Beach.

4. As a family–mom, daughter, dad–we love museums, plays, good books and good movies.

5. When we travel together as a family, the three of us love long Bible studies in the morning whether we debate or agree.

Some Ways We Are Different

1. Kimmy runs and so appreciates a beautiful, orderly home that she watches over and treats with such care and almost tenderness. Her yard blooms with the most beautiful flowers and gorgeous, artistic design; and, for me, when sitting there, I have a sense of her garden as an imitation of, having all the swirls, curls and flourishes, all the colors and varieties of a distinguishing style, and whose would that be? Well, of course, the Great Gardener’s. I always say that someday I’m going renovate and be like Kimmy. But the truth is I don’t like to clean, and I don’t like to garden. There it is. I sometimes joke about the television show “The Hoarders” and say that I am well on my way to being an intermediate hoarder. I look around, and it’s not so much of a joke.
2. Kimmy loves people–friends and family. She adores having many women in her Bible study, interacting in groups like PTA, mission boards, Mops, dinners with old friends and new. I think she might be happy if someday she, her husband’s family and her dad and I all lived in a big house, maybe a farm, cooked together, worked together–plowed the fields together, had our babies in those fields–played games at night together if not too tired from plowing the fields and having babies. Maybe, I’m a little old for the baby part, 72. Ok, you’re right, I am a loner and quite happy with a selfish, narrow life. I like writing, business, my husband, a few good friends, my own small Bible study and church. I love my life and don’t want to change any aspect of it. Thank you, Lord.
3. Kimmy loves to speak and is a marvelous speaker. I am not just saying that as her mom. She is attested to as a great speaker by all who hear her. I have done speaking for my historical novel Dalliance, but I never even liked it. I believe the Lord helped me on all occasions. He had to because I have spastic dysphonia, and sometimes cannot even be understood. I just do not want public speaking as a part of my life.
4. Kimmy is a fabulous parent. I was not, as an alcoholic, at least, for the first 12 or 13 years of her life. I am trying to make up for it now, but Kimmy has always been there for her kids in ways that I could not and did not, and her growth, over the years, has really given her a huge edge on me in regard to parenthood.
5. Kimmy believes, according to Dallas Willard, that the world is a safe place for a Christian. I wish I did believe that, but sometimes I do not. There is so much mystery to me about suffering and events that seem unimaginable that I know I do not understand. I hear from Christians and see in the Bible that someday they will be explained. Revelation comes all during life. But the truth is I do worry, I do wonder and question, I do come boldly into the throne room, and I do express doubt sometimes that the world is a safe place including for Christians.