A Liturgy for Losing Your Sense of Home
The cords have been cut, Lord, and the “home” I have been tethered to is no longer mine. I’ve known that this was coming, and yet, the reality of it is washing over me in waves of grief. I wonder— will I ever feel at home anywhere again? Even now in my wondering, You remind […]
Wanderer
This morning I found myself longing to sit outside with my tea on our porch as the sun came up over the red rock mountains. As a teacher, time is still measured in school years, and as this school year comes to a close, I find myself in a state of reflection. Just nine simultaneously-long-and-short […]
When I Can’t Hold Home Together
On a Sunday morning last August, I dropped the kids off to their Sunday morning classes and made my way to the sanctuary, intentionally keeping my face averted so I would not have to engage in too many conversations. This was not like me. I enjoy greeting people and making them feel known and seen. […]
The Better Everything
There is an oft-quoted adage among gardeners in regards to perennials and their growth: “The first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap!” Perennials need to gradually establish themselves before any kind of significant growth. I have been reflecting on this saying and its meaning as I ponder […]
This Month’s Theme: Home?
Where is home? For the world-wandering expat, this question holds layers of meaning—confusion and longing, fullness and beauty, grief and gratitude. Home can feel like a shifting concept, stretching across passports, cultures, and relationships. It’s the ache of missing one place while being rooted in another. It’s the joy of belonging and the sting of […]
Is This My Home?
“Are you my mother?” a newly hatched bird chirps to anyone and everything she meets in the children’s book, Are You My Mother? And while the readers know the bulldozer most certainly is not the hatchling’s mom, somehow the little bird just isn’t quite sure who is or where to find her mother. But I […]
Not Too Busy to Retreat
Last year we offered a virtual group Retreat experience for those who couldn’t gather because of the pandemic. For Kathleen and her group, the impact grew far beyond their Retreat weekend. We are thrilled to have Kathleen sharing with us today! Mark 1:35 The next morning, Jesus got up long before daylight, left the house […]
Remembering Home + The Fluffiest Biscuits
Just like we have a longing to be loved, we also can’t shake that yearning for home. No matter where we are, we feel it. Perhaps our lifestyle leads to a deeper yearning than those who have lived in one location their entire lives, but I think it’s still there for everyone. This earth just […]
Where Is Home For You?
I’m sure you’ve been asked the question and you’ve wrestled with how to answer. Several years ago, I was shopping in Northern Wales and I found myself fumbling and mumbling to answer the question about where I was from. The brief conversation went something like this… “So where is home for you, Miss?” I glanced […]
This Month’s Theme: Home
Where is home? This question holds confusion and longing, fullness and beauty for the world wandering expat. In some ways we know the depths of the hope of heaven because we are always longing for another home. But we also hold the truth that Christ has a home in us and we have our home […]
10 Reasons This Pregnant Lady Misses Home {And 10 Reasons She Continues to Make this Foreign Land Her New Home}
I am the grumpiest pregnant woman there ever was. I can say that, my husband can’t. Being pregnant in a place that is not my home seems to make the normal everyday Africa complications somehow cosmic. The electricity going out before baking cookies seems to bring the whole world to an end. Having to walk […]
A Perfect Shelter in Seasons of Change
I lift up my eyes to the mountains-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-the […]