Tanara McCauley

Culturally Imagined Stories

Tag: family

  • Twice the Miracle (Updated)

    (Originally posted circa April 2013) I could tell by the look in the nurse’s eyes she wasn’t sure I understood what she’d said. We stared at each other, she with brow lifted waiting for some sign of comprehension on my end, me drifting inside myself with a host of “what ifs” tumbling through my mind.…

  • The Cookie Jar

    “A cookie jar, though beautiful, will always disappoint if found empty.” My cookie jar is empty. It’s seen a batch or two–maybe–in the months since I returned home from Mount Hermon’s Christian Writers Conference; but for the most part it’s been unoccupied. Relieved of duty. Free of tenants. And for a while I blamed my…

  • Kids Cook Fridays

    Fridays have always been a population favorite. They end the work and school week, usher in vacations (or holidays, for my European friends), and offer much-needed breaks. Even the most disagreeable chime in on the popular consensus of Friday’s arrival…ahh. In my home, we issue up a hearty “Mmmm” as well. Because that’s when the kids get to cook. And I’m…

  • Thanks, Mom

    I blog sporadically for Compassion Ministries, an organization that makes it possible for my family to sponsor three children from different countries. In honor of Mother’s Day, this week’s Compassion blogging prompt is to write an open letter to my mom. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to publicly praise her, despite her love for…

  • Soapbox Parenting

    “You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!” ~Syndrome, The Incredibles Parenting has quite a few deja vu moments. You get the distinct feeling you’ve seen, done, or felt a particular something before. Then it hits you. The lecture, the kid with eyes glazed over, the adult droning on and on in an attempt to impale…

  • Happy and Prosperous 2015!

    A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. ~Proverbs 16:9 It’s the second week of the new year, and I hope you are still as excited about your goals and resolutions as you were at the beginning. I know I am. 2014 ended with the blessed commotion of travel, family, laughter,…

  • The Nearness of God

    The Nearness of God

    The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. -Psalm 34:18 This will be our first Christmas without my mother-in-law. For some it will be a first Christmas without a spouse, a sibling, a friend, or a child. For others it will be the second…

  • A Book Review of Shattered by Dani Pettrey

    It isn’t everyday that Piper McKenna gets to see her youngest brother Reef. So when he shows up unexpected after several years absence, Piper’s initial reaction is one of joy. Then Reef returns the same night covered in the blood of someone newly murdered. Certain her brother is incapable of violence, Piper is willing to…

  • Two Are Better…

    Tears are never as bleak when there is someone to wipe them away…

  • Dancing on a Cloud…of Relationships

    Dancing on a Cloud. It’s not what I’m actually doing, just the name of the tea I’m drinking; and how I feel after spending a few weeks wrapping gifts, eating good food, reliving past times, and driving the open road. And though I love being home in Arizona, there’s a certain euphoria to zipping my jacket all the way…