Dianna Buchwalter

  Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.  – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Does anyone care?   I’ve asked myself this question more times than I’d like to admit. Not long ago, I was having a full-blown pity-party kind of day. Ever have one of those? When life just seems harder than it should be, and everyone should somehow know you are having a hard day, yet nothing. No texts. No calls. Just crickets.   I want to say this clearly. I have a sweet and loving husband. He listens as I vent to him on the regular. He offers wisdom and fixes what he can. But on this particular day, I found myself longing for something different. A really close girlfriend. Someone who understands the unique emotions we, as women, walk through. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, two are better than one. Notice Solomon didn’t say twenty-five is better than one. ...

  I beckoned you to come near, but my way didn’t look like what you wanted.   The lights of the night drew you in, Pulling you into dark corners.   I waited.   You searched for acceptance   in people with empty promises and hollow souls.     You longed for love, not realizing it was mine you needed all along.   I waited.   You turned toward me in moments in need, in fear but each time, you pulled back thinking the distance was too great to cross.   I waited.   The end of your rope seemed to get longer.   Still, I waited.   Your choices led to pain. Things once whole began to fall apart.  What you held onto slipped through your hands.   I was there. I waited.   Then, gently, I opened your eyes to what you had been chasing And your heart to what had been chasing you all along.     And when you finally stopped running There I was,   exactly where I had always been. Waiting.  

Did you know there’s a bird famous for holding the world record for the longest nonstop flight from Alaska all the way to Australia? It traveled over 8,000 miles in just 11 days! I stumbled upon an article about the Bar-tailed Godwit while mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and I’ll admit, I didn’t know anything about this bird before. These fascinating shorebirds escape the harsh winter for warmer climates. My first thought was, why don’t they just stop somewhere closer along the way? According to experts, stopping earlier often means landing in places with less food, more competition and predators, and poor habitats for their long bills. The Godwit’s long nonstop flight reduces these dangers. Even more impressive, these birds begin preparing for their expedition several weeks in advance. They don’t need to eat during their journey because they gorge for 1 to 2 months before departure, building up fat reserves. A few weeks before migration, their digestive organs shrink to reduce ...