MEET JOAN BORTON
Journeying through Marriage, Disability and Faith
Joan has a truly authentic faith that is not afraid to look honestly at some of the murkier parts of life. She approaches life’s difficulties with humor, wit, and unshakeable trust in God. Her writing is a true reflection of who she is.
Rooting for Change; In My Yard and My Heart!
An oak tree stood tall in our front yard, planted by the builder nearly three years ago. This was the standard tree most of our community received. As the neighborhood grew, so did concern about how invasive and troublesome the oak tree roots would become. One of...
What’s Your Secret?
On a recent trip to another city, I checked in to the hotel while Jerry was unloading from our van. Miss V, the front desk clerk, recognized my name from an earlier phone call and greeted me warmly. I asked if I could see the room before completing the paperwork. Even...
It Doesn’t All Fit. . .Or Does It?
After experiencing his own disability, a friend commented, “Disability alone is a part-time job.” I've done time studies in the past, with little success. Because my word for 2021 is focus I knew this was...
Puzzling Lessons
My cousin visited last week and brought a 1000-piece puzzle for us to do. It’s a picture of a village in Italy sitting on a rocky coastline. We spent most of the day chatting as we sorted out the edge pieces and organized the remaining pieces. Convinced we had all the...
Breaking the “I Love You” Ice
“I wish there were someone like Joan in Indiana.” Jerry prayed those words as he returned home from a disability ministry conference we both attended. I was blissfully unaware of his thought or prayer as I flew home to California....
FOCUS 2021
After taking stock on how grit impacted my past year, focus became my word for 2021. Now that the new year is four weeks old, it is time for my first monthly focus check. Though focus is a commonly used word, I like to have its meaning clear in my mind....
Capacity, Stress, and a Paper Shredder
Have you ever followed a paper trail? I did when I saw confetti sized paper all around the front office and a fountain of paper stuck in the shredder. At the end of the trail, I found the machine stuffed beyond capacity. This was not the first time. Thus the neon...
It’s All in the Cards and Rosters and Yearbooks and. . .
Never let your husband give up on his dreams. This is one of the best pieces of marriage advice I received. For my husband, baseball has always been a big part of his passion and...
Gimme A Break!
Arranging a long weekend away for me every few months is one of the many ways Jerry expresses his care for me. A group of guys from church volunteer to help with his evening and morning routines. I am free to travel, hole up and sleep, write, or any other...