The Sinners

I love this quote from the Bible: “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach” … More

How to Reach Your Goals When They are Lost in the Fog.

This summer we took our five kiddos on a month-long road trip to see ten national parks. Most of the parks were impressive from the moment we drove into them. But our first day at Mt. Rainier was a huge disappointment.

Feeling Obedient is Not the Same as Being Obedient.

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and … More

Heart Renovations

Your house [or heart] renovation will get messy and it will seem like it’s taking way too long. You may even want to quit before it’s done.

A reclaimed perspective on faith

As a teenager, I pictured my faith like a china doll on a shelf. I had a pretty spirituality, something to both enjoy and show off. It was helpful and brought me feelings of peace. I was proud of my faith, and perfecting it (which seemed like an attainable goal at the time) was my aim.

Blue dress

“Don’t pull away! You’ll rip it! You have to come towards the problem to fix it.” My four year old … More

I Call This… The Parable of the Woman in the Parking Lot

Sooo…. confession time. I hugged a stranger in the parking lot. In other times, this might have been acceptable, at least to some people. (Where my huggers at?! You get me!) But now we are all lepers, all unclean, barely able to look each other in the eye and give an uncomfortable nod. I KNOW I broke the rules.

Want to Change the World? You’re in the Right Place.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom with a part-time job for almost 12 years now. It has felt a little odd, … More

Give Me the Beautifully Scarred Gospel, Not Some Cheap Substitute.

In our hearts, we want the genuinely strong stuff that can withstand all the weathering and battering that life dishes out. We marvel at the tin and oak and glass of our grandparent’s generation. “Things just aren’t made the way they used to be,” we say. But when it comes to daily reality, we settle for furniture that looks strong enough to have survived years of cuts and scratches, but is just glued together with pressed wood and thin nails.

Not All Ground is Safe to Walk On: Learning to Trust the Right Things

Lately a lot of things I trusted in have gotten shaky. The entrepreneurial venture my husband embarked on ended after 2 1/2 years with disappointment, injustice, and a net loss of money. The small church I have poured myself into over the past seven years has shrunk even more over the last few months. And conflicts out of my control have attacked my peace during nights of little sleep.

My Message to Middle Schoolers… (or Myself).

Wiggling, squirming, “falling” out of their chairs… giggling, snorting, popcorn missing their mouths and hitting the floor. Eighteen middle school … More