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    Spanish Women’s (Video) Study?

    If you have any insights into this topic, would you please drop me an email or a note on FaceBook or leave a comment and let me know? Do you think there may be some women who would be blessed by the Peacemaker Women’s Study (Living the Gospel in Relationships) in Spanish? I ask because I will be serving at a large conference in Lima, Peru this summer and I keep having this strong burden to try to get the attendees some resources in their own language to take back to their communities / churches / homes. Fred and I are even talking about trying to take out a personal loan to fund…

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    Angel Ella

    A 5AM car to the airport in Michigan and I’m back to my real life in Montana … pretty much straight to our Christmas Eve dress rehearsal wherein Eleanor is an angel!                           Merry Christmas Eve-Eve! Yours, Tara B. 

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    A Life Well Lived

    It was a great honor to speak at my mother’s memorial service this morning. The room was packed with people from every station of life and many people shared beautiful stories of how much my mother had helped and encouraged them. My sister’s eulogy was phenomenal! And I managed to make it through mine with only a little crying. All in all, a beautiful day. Now I am packing up to be ready for my 5AM ride to the airport. Merry Almost Christmas! And thanks again for the prayers and sweet notes– Yours, Tara B.                     

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  • Eulogy for a Bad Mother

    I just finished writing my Eulogy for my mother …

    I think my sister did a lovely job on the obituary for my mother, so I thought I would share it with you. I actually took the photo we used. The original background is our couch and Ella is on her lap! But Fred did magical computery things with Photoshop to make it copy better in newspapers and I think it turned out great. I love her eyes and her smile. In addition to ordering flowers, everything for the luncheon, and creating the bulletin/handout for the service, I also took a few minutes today to write my eulogy for my mother. It was not hard to do. There are so…

  • Hope in Suffering

    My Mother Died Peacefully in My Sister’s & Stepfather’s Arms

    Thank you so much for praying and for your very kind notes. My mother died peacefully tonight in my sister’s and stepfather’s arms. I arrived soon after and had the privilege of coordinating things with the mortuary service/nurses, calling my mother’s best friend in the world (my Godmother, Anne Parat—creator of my girls’ inimitable Kikis) to share the news “in person” as much as possible, driving my stepfather home and tucking him in safely … and now it is 1:15AM and I’m going to try to get a little rest before the service opportunities of the week. Thanks again for praying. I miss my mother terribly already. But I have no…

  • Grace in Daily Life,  Hope in Suffering

    Now We See Dimly

    I thoroughly enjoyed our family’s time at the touring Broadway production of The Lion King. As expected, the music was enjoyable, the costumes and dancing top-notch, and the puppetry was truly mind-boggling. All in all, a great show and yet another affirmation of the fact that I really love musicals. But also as usual, I didn’t keep my eyes on the stage throughout the show. Whenever I have the privilege of observing professionals in a setting like this, I find it particularly enjoyable to watch the people who are at the back of the spotlight, not just in the spotlight. Because MAN OH MAN are those sound, light, and staging crews INCREDIBLE. The illusions they…

  • Hope in Suffering

    Even Amidst True Joys, a Low Note of Deep Sorrow Resonates

    It’s a strange thing to be walking through what is usually such a happy, fun season of our year (Thanksgiving, Sophia’s birthday, Christmas, New Year’s) with genuine joy—but also with deep sadness (because of my mother’s failing health). I can honestly say that I am fully present in the happiness; but an undercurrent of grief sounds constantly in my heart throughout my day. Its like a drone note on a double bass. Always there. Rumbling. You can feel it even though it doesn’t usually draw attention to itself. Sometimes the vibrations are too much and I just cry “for no reason” (really, for a good reason). Much of the time,…

  • Hope in Suffering

    Not Bitter or Stoical: A Third Way …

    A dear friend and I were visiting the other day about a sadness in her life. It’s actually a good thing that might happen in someone else’s life that is reminding her of a sad thing in her own. She was (rightfully) feeling convicted that it was wrong for her to wish this good thing wouldn’t happen to her friend; it was wrong for her to not want to pray that this good thing would happen to her friend. But the truth was, she was very sad. So what did I say? Well. Let me start with what I didn’t say. I did not respond to her suffering by telling her: “Wow! You are a…