A Sheltered Faith
A couple of weeks ago I picked up an old notebook of mine and out slipped a 3×5 card with a bible verse printed on it. It was a verse from Jeremiah chapter one. It read… “And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the […]
What a movie about ice hockey taught me about being a beloved child of God
A few weeks ago I watched a Disney movie from the 90’s called “The Mighty Ducks,” which I had never seen before. A major theme is the main character Gordon’s shame and regret for letting down his peewee hockey coach, whose motto is “It’s not worth winning if you can’t win big!” Gordon’s team had […]
Invitation to a Prodigal
I have been in Cambodia for four years, and what do I have to show for it? A whole lot of pain and struggle, a few words I can speak in this foreign language, and some great sandal tan lines on my dirty feet. I long for more. Far too often I am just like […]
Trust God Enough to Take a Day Off
I began learning about rest by not resting. There are countless reasons I could list for why we should rest, why we need to rest, how rest is beneficial, but what is impressed on me most of all lately is that, truly, rest is an act of faith. But I didn’t see that at first. […]
Private Preparation: The Value of Showing Up In Your Own Life
We are a community well acquainted with moving. Some of these moves are anticipated for years. There is the preparing and the longing and the excitement about what is to come. There are other times where the unexpected happens and you do the abbreviated version. I am moving to Ghana in early January. Surprise! The […]
Unwanted Gifts
Sometimes we receive gifts that we don’t really want. Like the time my husband crossed paths on campus with the Chinese director of the English Department and was a little too enthusiastic as he marveled over the beauty of his newly purchased porcelain horses. When he realized his mistake and tried his best to back […]
Let go. Hold On.
During the brainstorming process for this post I wrote three different introductions. By the end of the third one, I realized my words weren’t honest words. They were words which at one time were honest, words which would make a good outline for a post. But they weren’t words describing how I actually feel right […]
The Power of His Desires
I attended a college where “a ring by spring or your money back” wasn’t just a joke. Several weeks into the school year it would inevitably happen: couples started pairing off after connecting in class or through a brother/sister floor event. Pretty soon they would be meeting over coffee and tater tots in the back […]
Overcoming My American Self
There are so many things my American self had to get over living overseas. So many. So many times I had to squelch an eye roll and sigh silently to myself. So many times I had to remember that different doesn’t equal wrong or crazy. For example, ice in drinks. A totally normal and complete […]
Why Waiting Is Good for Me
Waiting and cross-cultural ministry seem synonymous at times. We wait… For funds to be raised For visas to be approved For flights to land For shipped items to arrive For languages to be learned For cultural shock to pass For ministries to begin And so on. I still remember the excitement of finally having my […]
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, I spoke in front of groups for them! It was a God given love fueled by excitement at what the future could be. And then […]
The Art of the Long Way Round
It had been a rough morning. Babies up way too early and mama with way too little sleep. Preschool didn’t start for another 45 minutes and it’s only a three minute drive so I did what any sanity lovin’ mama would do and I put the four year old and the baby in the car […]