The little girl was leaning against her mother.
Actually, she was leaning against her mother’s tummy.
Leaning against her mother’s tummy and talking sweetly.
Talking sweetly to the brother or sister who is growing inside.

The little girl was having quite a conversation.
All the events of her day were being told.
The new song she learned at preschool was being sung.
It was wonderful to watch.

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I saw them on a country road.
A bicycle built for two upon which an older Mennonite couple rode.
If I was an artist, I would have painted a picture to capture the moment.
Since I am a writer, painting a picture with words will have to do.

I watched as they pedaled in tandem.
Their legs moving in unison.
The ground they gained was far better than the ground I gained in my car.
The familiar clothes, the head covering, the bike basket that held their packages.

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It was a Facebook message that seemed to come out of nowhere.
A man introduced himself as the husband of someone I once knew.
This girl was the oldest of seven children.
She and her family lived on my street.

Five girls and two boys grew up in a three bedroom house.
Since I went to school with two of the sisters, I spent time in their home.
The five girls all shared the master bedroom.
Being an only child, I had never seen so many beds.

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Dreams.
We all have them.
We may not remember all of them.
We may not understand many of them.

Our most vivid dreams happen during rapid eye movement or REM sleep.
REM sleep is about one quarter of our total sleep, about 90-120 minutes each night.
The first REM sleep may occur about an hour after falling asleep.
The longest REM period usually occurs close to morning.

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Do you ever think about what a privilege it is to hear the heart of your child?
The heart, the thoughts, the dreams, and the fears that need a safe place.
A place of unconditional love, acceptance, support, and encouragement.
Often, a mother is that safe place.

No matter the age, there is a heart that needs to speak.
There is a heart that needs to be heard.
There is a heart that needs to hear itself speak.
A heart that needs words to somehow capture the depths of its feelings.

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It is not often that I see a Biblical truth lived out so precisely.
Lived out in such a way that the pages of the Bible come alive.
Especially when it is an Old Testament truth, I know that I have been given a gift.
The gift of being able to witness such a thing.

I went to my place, the place of farms, and cows, and open space, and plain people.
Plain people is what they call themselves.
It is a sweet truthful term.
They are a people who know so well what being in community is all about.

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Did you ever think about the kind of place the world would be if we were more childlike?
If we spoke from our heart without a filter?
If we spoke truth in love no matter what anyone else thought?
How refreshing that would be.

The young boys who will be cleaning up our walnut tree debris have two other brothers.
The youngest, who is in preschool, has an impish grin that melts your heart.
Sad that he cannot help with this particular job, he made his declaration.
Mrs. Gallagher, he called to me, adding more syllables than necessary to my last name.

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It was a little colonial house with a spacious yard.
It had a bit of a steep driveway, which was interesting to shovel in the winter.
We were so proud to be homeowners.
It was much more work than living in our apartment but it was worth the effort.

The downstairs floor plan was such that you walked right into the living room.
I had a little rug by the door, but I dreamed of a foyer; an entryway.
I envisioned a cozy place with a country bench, a braided rug, and a hall tree with mirror.
One night I mentioned it to my husband.

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I just lit a candle in my kitchen.
I have a little glass jar near the sink for the used matches.
The matches go in the jar after I run them under water.
It may seem excessive, not after what happened early in our married life.

Our first house had a family room next to the kitchen.
It was one step down and it was a favorite place for our almost one-year-old to play.
She would line her toys on the step so she could play and be near me.
She had a clear view of me while I was making dinner and I had a clear view of her.

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I was the recipient of grace.
Two weeks ago I was to serve in our church nursery during the church hour.
I usually serve during the Sunday school hour, but the schedule was different that day.
Our son was home for the weekend and I was really looking forward to being together.

We are encouraged to find our own replacements if we cannot serve in the nursery.
I decided that I would try to switch with someone on the schedule.
They would serve for me that day and I would serve for them on their scheduled day.
I saw one young man on the schedule that I would ask to switch with me.

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