Picking Up Pennies
Why "Picking Up Pennies"?
Many years ago I read a book in which a young girl, who was secretly being abused by her father, stepped out of a downtown department store and stopped to pick up a penny just outside the door. A delivery boy tripped over her, splaying boxes all over the sidewalk. A man walking by happened to get caught up in the chaos and fell on both the girl and the delivery boy. Store customers rushed outside to see about the commotion. One of those customers, a well-to-do lady in town, picked up the girl and tenderly asked her if she were okay. Though neither knew it at the time, this lady and girl would forge a life-changing relationship. The lady would rescue the girl out of the abuse and become a mother to her.
The girl would find love and healing.
It struck me how God might use the simple act of picking up a penny to save someone's life. How he often uses our small and fleeting gestures to bring about soul-shaking change. And neither is it lost on me that, in many ways, I am a penny. To a passerby, no one of any great consequence. But God has chosen to work remarkable, impossible miracles in and through my life. Every day I wonder how many pennies I encounter, whether in circumstance or in people. I pray I not miss a single one.
As a reminder, maybe as more of an homage, I no longer leave pennies lying on the ground.
An invitation to a miracle
When life leaves us empty-handed, God asks us to bring what little we have. From a jar of oil to loaves and fishes, His miracles begin in our insufficiency. This is my story of survival, faith, and cookies — and an invitation to discover how your own miracle might begin with what’s already in your house.
The great illusion
When I was told my kidneys were failing, I thought I had no time left. Fighting cancer led me to the edge of despair, until surrender brought peace. The Great Illusion is about letting go of control, trusting God with each step, and discovering that the miracle we seek begins in His hands.
The whisper
When cancer stripped away hope, and treatments offered no guarantees, I prayed for a sign. In the hum of an MRI machine, God answered, not in thunder, but in a whisper. The Whisper is a story of late-stage cancer, hard choices, and the peace that comes when we recognize His voice in our suffering.
A fresh take on unfairness
Cancer isn’t unfair. It’s part of life’s fragile gift. In A Fresh Take on Unfairness, I share how terminal illness deepened my gratitude, shifted my perspective, and revealed the beauty of ordinary days. With faith, gratitude, and love, each sunrise becomes a blessing, every moment a reminder that God lavishes us with more than we deserve.
I have cancer
One month I was planning an anniversary trip. Weeks later, I was told I had multiple myeloma. I Have Cancer is the story of my diagnosis, the shock of hearing those words, and the faith and strength I’ve uncovered along the way. If you’re searching for hope in suffering, you’ll find a safe place here.
The God of Saturdays
In The God of Saturdays, I reflect on the silence between Good Friday and Easter and the Saturdays of my own life, those days of despair, regret, and waiting. Like Peter and Mary, I’ve learned that the only way through is surrender. Even in silence, God remains faithful, present, and unshakably true.