A few years ago I hired a young graphic designer for help with updating and possibly renaming this blog. “What do you like to write about?” she asked. “Oh, really just personal narratives, stories about daily life and marriage and parenting, more than anything this is...
“Ah, here comes Judas again. What a fool. Why is he back? We have no more business with him. Or time for his folly.” “Wait, wait!” cried Judas, breathless as he entered the room brimming with elders and chief priests. “Jesus! He’s innocent. He’s done nothing wrong.”...
When Esther moved to Southwest Christian School as an 8th grader, she announced at dinner that first week, "Y'all, it's the strangest thing. Today we had a sub, and HE KNEW MY NAME." I laughed at her incredulous statement, "Yes Essie, that's Mr. Knox, he's not a...
"Who's the kid that just got baptized? I've never seen him before, but there's a massive group of friends waiting to hug and congratulate him!" "You don't know him?" Graham asked, "He was in Hudson's room at ski trip. That's the weekend he decided to follow Jesus."...
Essie ~ You’ve always been a firecracker. In celebration of EIGHTEEN, a few of my favorite memories: When you were about three years old, our sweet friend Lori was volunteering with the young children’s Sunday School at Christ Chapel. Lori wasn’t technically serving...
No one, and I mean no one, can get on an eighteen-year-old's nerves like their Momma. I can think of a couple of others that come close, but I am the Grand Champion of inadvertently pushing my young adult daughter's buttons. And I'm seeing it all around me. When this...
A few weeks ago, Esther and I spent a gorgeous spring Saturday morning celebrating a first birthday party with family friends. The baby was in the middle of smashing the birthday cake when Corbin called. I let it go to voicemail, as Esther was trying to get the...
Basketball season is in full force, and our high school teams are fun to watch. Recently during a rivalry girls’ game, a hush rolled over rowdy spectators as one of the opposing players made a basket - in our basket. Two points for us, a surprised pause from the...
Last spring I experienced a favorite parenting moment. Such a privilege to give Esther her dream camera and lens. For no reason. Not her birthday, not Christmas, and she didn’t earn the money (or even half of the money)... I just got to buy and give this gift to her...
“Does my life make a difference?” That’s the question. Whether we admit it, whether we even realize it, that’s really the most fundamental, most important question we ask ourselves. It’s the reason we watch It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas. Or if we don’t, we...
My dad describes a surprising encounter with the Lord, years ago, when he was attempting nighttime prayers. He was lying in bed, going through a mental checklist of all the people and things he needed to pray for, and time and again his prayers were distracted by...
Dear Basden ~ in keeping with Cappy's encouragement to Hud, here are his words penned to you as an eight-year-old. And we couldn't agree more. Happy TWENTIETH birthday, Little Joy! Basden- You have a wise heart. It shows in the way you really want to help Aunt Crystal...
Hudson James, just a couple days shy of your 22nd birthday... a little encouragement from Cappy's email to your ten-year-old self. Twelve years later, I'm encouraged by his words here, along with the joy of reminiscing over this exchange. The power of words on a page,...
Working in admissions, one of the things I love most is getting to engage with families as they come visit our school. When we tour families around our campus, we’re not only sharing about our school’s culture, academics, fine arts and athletic programs, but we’re...
Ruby girl, we are just so surprised that you’re gone. You didn’t give us any warning, and that high-voltage personality of yours has left a huge vacuum in our home and in our hearts. We’ve been nursing Cross through some old-age symptoms lately but you hadn’t shown...
Each step elicits a crunch as my feet steady the slightly shifting gravel under my sneakers. Each step on this wooded, gravel path across from our home. Like opening an old perfume bottle, spring and summer walks usher in the memories of my college summers at Kanakuk,...
**In light of Mother's day (and Father's day) around the corner, I'm reposting this from a few years ago. It's a a lesson I need to keep learning, still need to be reminded of. If I could give one gift to myself and to friends in the trenches of parenting, it would be...
"This Christmas, I'm thankful for Dad's job with American. And that even though now it's gone, that was a great run." My brothers and I shared this sentiment as we gathered in my parents' living room, Christmas 2000. After a record-setting career as a young Marine...
We almost lost Papa in the spring of '99. Papa and Mama (who were actually not yet Papa and Mama, aka Charles and Jamie) took our family of newly grown, newly married kids to the Greek Islands. Immediately after we arrived in Athens and boarded our cruise ship,...
“Is it our business to pry into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful exercise which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what never belonged to us - tomorrow? Our...
Today Corbin and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage. WOW and Praise Jesus. It just so happened that the five days we could wrangle family time this summer coincided with our silver wedding anniversary - Corbin literally booked this trip last spring without us...
It seems like January 1st can’t get here fast enough. We don’t have to scroll very far to see 2020 memes with hearty “good riddance” salutations, and this headband above, my friend's Target purchase, made me laugh - I think we\'re all ready for some comic relief. As...
We're anticipating celebrating Hudson’s high school graduation in a couple of weeks. Ceremony plans have been a moving target with Covid, but we’re hoping to celebrate this SCS Class of 2020 officially with actual caps and gowns. And tassels. A couple of months ago...
Even if they’re grown, it’s not too late. No one ever outgrows the need for a parent’s encouragement or affirmation. On the phone with my dad for a few minutes this morning, I remarked on the learning curve that comes with working four days a week, that spending...
gabesalazar.com\"Mom, Gabe was at school today. He called an 8th grader on stage and she started sobbing, and all of her friends started sobbing, and I was in my seat sobbing!\"Whoa, what?!\"Mom, you know Gabe, that speaker, we had an assembly with all girls today. He...
"Wait a minute, they moved your daughter into a difficult roommate situation on purpose??" "Yep, they want to induce the struggle, they want to see their real colors surface so they can work through it." Yikes. This from my friend whose daughter is living at...
"Have y'all decided when you're going to move in?" This from the project manager of our painting company, who has become my new BFF, in regards to the house we bought last winter. "Well, no, because it's just today. And all I know today is today." He looked at...
“Can you do just this one?”These words from Cameron, Corbin’s sister who served as my doula during the intense (!) labor of our oldest son\'s birth. “Just this one contraction, TJ, don’t go ahead, just stay in this one.”Cameron stayed by my side every contraction,...
June 2017 Last summer God presented me with the most amazing, unexpected surprise of getting to go as a LEADER to Young Life\'s Frontier Ranch. It was a marker experience, and I don\'t want to miss getting some of the details down. Just last night I was touched...
I have nodes. I am living with nodes. But I am a survivor, but I have to pull back because I am limited. Because I have nodes. - Chloe, Pitch Perfect I’m on day 7... day 7 of TEN DAYS of no talking. Not a word. Not even a whisper. This after a...
With Bran as a newborn, one of my first opportunities as a mom to \"soak it in...\" I loved watching him laugh at his reflection in our little upstairs bathroom Life just doesn’t get easy this side of Heaven. Corbin and I ran into a small grocery store Sunday...
There are so many things I want my children to experience. Too many things, things we can’t get to. I want them to work with children in low income neighborhoods. I want them to experience mission trips both locally and out of the country. I’d love for them to rub...
“Whoa!” The ball sailed over right field, a solid home run. I glanced back toward the hitter’s mom with a big grin and congratulated her son. The two-run homer gave us the lead, as well as shifted our team’s momentum and energy in this otherwise slow, stifling hot...
Walking down the Tanglewood Elementary steps on that bright sunny day, we thanked Mr. Williams for the school tour and he assured us, “I will know your car, your husband’s car, and Branson’s grandparents’ cars.” I believed him. Corbin and I looked at each other knew...
For YOU are God\'s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do. For You are God\'s workmanship. For you are God\'s workmanship.For you are God\'s Workmanship. Last Sunday after the worship, after the graduating...
Our tired bodies climbing the stairs together, Essie headed to her room, and I headed to mine, relieved that she was retiring so willingly. I set my sights on a long, hot shower to wash off the day. Not necessarily a difficult day, just a long, normal one, and I...
Sitting on the edge of his bed, when the clock strikes much-too-late, I exercise all my self control to listen, listen, listen. Another late-night conversation, where emotions flourish, pressed hard by fatigue and a long day. I'm grateful for the transparent...
"I wish I could have a whole conversation with him about these things, see what he thinks about them." "Well, Dad, take him to dinner. If you offer Chipotle he won't turn you down, and you'll have his undivided attention over a grilled chicken burrito." "He has time...
Several years ago a friend asked me to write a devotional on Mark chapter 1, and this is what came out. It's the account of Jesus healing Simon Peter's mother-in-law. This was not intended for Christmas time, but each year Advent asks of me, do I really know Jesus? Do...
Running into the mall yesterday to grab a makeup bag for Basden, even the nature of her gift screamed \"teenager!\" I flew through the food court to grab Chick Fil A, her requested birthday lunch, thinking of Basden\'s bright, generous smile.Sporting a day-old pony...
When I began this blog more than ten years ago, I wrote all of the kids birthday letters. Like many things I do, it was hit or miss at best. So over the years as I\'ve printed this blog out in the form of books, Hudson has searched the November portions of the books...
Corbin ~ on this happy birthday ~ I\'m taking an opportunity to pause and remember how smart I was to marry you. Now that I\'ve spent half of my life as your wife, there are a few things I didn\'t realize I was getting in a husband when I said \"I...
I'd like to tell you about my friend Katherine. She's the wife of an adventurer, she's the capable mom of four, and she's a friend to many. But mostly, she a daughter of the King. A daughter who's not afraid to take risks and care for others. I met Katherine twenty...
She joined many of her family and friends in Heaven twenty years ago today... and I miss her. I was about ten years old when Granny invited me to spend two weeks of the summer with her. My brothers weren't invited, nor my parents, just me. Given the throng of our...
My peace I give you. Um, no. That's not how I feel, Lord... I don't really have time to stop for your peace. And I'm not totally convinced my heart could even receive it right now. My peace I give you. Ok, well, it's worth a try, but I feel like I'm simply coming...
Sometimes perfect strangers will see me out with my children and say things like, "I can't imagine parenting in this generation." Or, "I can't imagine how tough it is to raise children in this culture." They mean well. And I understand their sentiment. But it's not...
"I'm not afraid." It\'s what my friend's father told his children and his grandchildren when they gathered a couple of weeks ago for Thanksgiving. This man has been battling cancer, and while his health appears clear at this point, he knows the possibility of the...
"Essie, what's going on? Why the sad eyes?" "I'll tell you when we get in the car." Once secure inside, doors firmly shut, she let the tears flow. "Mom, can we please move away from Fort Worth? They are just so mean, and they hate me." "Whoa, slow down a minute, Es....
I am so sore.I\'m walking ok, and actually, walking feels good. But if you see me going up or down stairs, or bending my legs to sit in a chair, I look a little odd. Like a little old lady pausing mid-step, reminding her brain to strain those muscles even though...
I got a speeding ticket this morning. 54 in a 40. Hudson and Essie were with me, on Vickery, headed back to school from Dr. Kelley's office. Essie was basking in the smooth, unfamiliar sensation of her brand-new-just-got-braces-off teeth, and Hud was asking if his...