A Sheltered Faith
A couple of weeks ago I picked up an old notebook of mine and out slipped a 3x5 card with a bible verse printed on it. It was a verse...
Hooked on Change
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting next to my 10-year-old daughter on the couch. She was still wearing the pajamas she had worn the night before, even though...
The Defining Power of Memory
Last summer my family met up for a vacation in Thailand. It is a rare opportunity to have all of us in the same country let alone in the same...
The Anatomy of Rest
I am a bit of an exercise enthusiast. I started out slow with Pilates and walking before moving on to running with light weight lifting; and now, my most recent...
Ode to Joy
I have always been fascinated by joy. Undoubtedly because it is my name and I have often felt as though joy has been just out of my reach....
Discipline for Endurance’s Sake
“A cross that comes purely from God – and is cordially welcomed without any self-reflective acts – is both painful and peaceful. In contrast, if such a cross is unwillingly...
The Blessing in the Burning
I was twelve when my house burned down. We were playing cards in our living room, in our log cabin, in small town Outer Mongolia when we heard what sounded...
Kicking Off Those Ill-Fitting Shoes
I feel like everyone is watching me. It is as if every area of my life has now become a topic for judgement. What stores do I...
Confessions of a Scaredy-cat
Yeah…so….I’m pretty much a scaredy-cat, and now that I actually own a cat, I can truthfully admit that the metaphor applies. I’m easily startled, as if all my muscles are...
When I Would Rather Hit You Than Love You
I really loved the people of my host country before we came. I mean, I prayed for them, I sacrificed for them, I fought for them and advocated for them,...
