Salvaging the Meaningful from the Messy and Mundane
Last year our Christmas tree fell over - well, got knocked over, really - right after we had finished decorating it and were all sitting on the couch singing Christmas carols. Actually we weren't all sitting on the couch. The baby was exploring the white lights and colorful balls and strings of beads when she pulled just... Continue Reading →
Who is a difference-maker in your life that deserves some thanks? So many "little" things that regular ol' people like you and me do unexpectedly impact attitudes, atmospheres, and situations in huge ways.
I'm right. I'm always right. I cling to my right-ness as a part of my identity; it is core to who I am. Some of it comes from how I was raised, some from my friends, some from what I learned in college or read in a book. Now it is simply sugar in the... Continue Reading →
You would never use just one word to define a place, or a historical figure, or a feeling, or a food, or even another word. It would be completely inadequate. You might say "tasty"... and then you add, "But the lemon flavor is a little too overpowering." Or you might say "bored"... but then you would say, "Because I miss my friend who is away on a trip." And although some of our personal culture and identity are tied to the words "black" and "white", these words are incomplete when used as the sole definition of a human being.
After [only] three years... The biggest project I have ever attempted in my almost 11 years on Young Life staff is finally complete! Most of the writing I have done for YoungLives (Young Life's ministry for teen moms) so far has been directed at staff and volunteers. Building a YoungLives Ministry, Mentor Training, training videos,... Continue Reading →
It seems that very few Christians have a good reputation in both the Christian and the secular worlds, so how did one woman become the default definition of "good Christian"? Her name is casually thrown around as the yardstick by which every other Christian or Christian organization is measured... and we generally all up come... Continue Reading →
It is a scary thing to say "yes" to taking in a child you've never met and know very little about. When the call comes, and the only thing the voice on the other end knows is the child's age and gender. Nothing about interests, behaviors, dislikes, personality... no pictures, no stories. Just: "Can you take him?"
It's the worst blind date scenario.
Can I be honest with you without you judging me? Ah well, I'll just be honest with you and let you do with it as you will. Because this is about me, not you. You probably don't deal with this problem.
Here is my honest confession: I routinely get wrapped up in other people's issues.
Today, I heard the stories of a homeless woman and a teenage refugee boy. The boy left home when he was 10 years old to go to a refugee camp eight hours from his home. Unfortunately, he didn't go because his home or his village were threatened. He went because his aunt, who lived in... Continue Reading →
"Here mom, you can have the rest of this. I've had enough." It still shocks me every time. Somehow my kids - in spite of their choco-holic mom - have learned to stop eating when they are full, and to give their excess to me or their dad. They even do this with ice cream. Unbelievable. I,... Continue Reading →
I love looking out over the ocean, or from any overlook - it always feels good to stretch my eyes! But there is something extra special about not just looking out over miles and miles, but being able to see something at the end of the looking. It feels like some kind of accomplishment. From this... Continue Reading →
I am not good at "again." All those parts of mommyhood that demand repeated attention - oh wait, that's all of it - are hard for me. I get to check laundry and dishes off of my list one day, and then, just like that, there they are on my list again. And again. Every day,... Continue Reading →
My mind jumps. ALWAYS. It jumps from laundry to a 6-year old's question to a text message to Facebook to a baby crying to my job to vacuuming to church. In like a minute. And then back again. Especially when I am flipping through social media, I am not focused. My brain hops from friends I have known... Continue Reading →
