Shelter is Not a Thing, It’s a Person
Over the course of my childhood, my family moved three times. My dad grew up as a military brat and always thought he’d settle in one spot, but that’s not...
Because He Strengthens Me
Our flight only had about 20 minutes left after traveling for over 24 grueling hours from West Africa to Michigan. We were in a small express plane...
The Happy/Sad Truth About Returning {The Grove: Return}
In her intensely thought provoking book, The Poisonwood Bible, one of Barbara Kingsolver’s fictional characters has just landed back in America after living in a jungle in Africa. She puts...
Who Said Returning Would be Easy
If I could write a letter to my weary self in the spring of 2015, as I was surrounded by 20 years of our China life, packed in semi-sturdy fruit...
Losing Identity In The Return
I bit down on my tongue to stop the words I was thinking from flying out of my mouth. Staring across the table at my coffee date, I wondered how...
A Letter to the One Returning Home
Seven years ago, with all my earthly belongings bundled into two 50 pound suitcases, I flagged my last taxi to the airport. I dozed on the 13 hour flight arcing...
Waiting as Long as He Says
“God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him. […] My help and glory are in God—granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—So trust him...
Just Get Over It Already {The Grove: Forgive }
I thought I was over it. At a women’s retreat with our organization, I shared some of my most recent struggles with a member care counselor....
Goodness Gracious Stinks Alive
Go to your kitchen, grab a cheese grater and rub it on your face. That’s how China and my expat existence felt during my last year in-country. Before 2016, the...
5 Lessons I’ve Learned From Connection Groups
When I returned to my passport country after 16 years overseas, I knew it probably wouldn’t be plain sailing. I thought I was prepared for that. After all, I’d read...
