Grace in the Answers of Honest Questions
“One God! No idols!” the paraphrase begins, best shouted. This simplified list, a tool for children to remember the Ten Commandments, still helps me recall the gist of each commandment God gave His people. Realizing that the concept of bowing to idols wouldn’t feel strikingly relevant, wise mentors at various points during my youth would […]
You Feel That Way Too?!
I glanced at each of the small video screens compiled on my laptop and the faces that filled each one. None of us looked alike. I was the only one who had served overseas in Taiwan. My health circumstances were vastly different than these women as well. Our life stages varied quite a bit. I […]
The Resolve of Staying
September 4th, 2001. Just 10 days a newlywed, I sat on that plane with my hand tightly sandwiched between by his. I could barely breathe. My mind was somewhere in between the unknown adventure ahead of us and the known of all that I was leaving behind. All of a sudden, a year’s worth of […]
This Week’s Theme: Sacrifice
We’ve marched up that mountain more than once with our Isaacs, ready to surrender. We’ve put dreams on the altar, sacrificed worldly possessions and close proximity to family and easy access to all that is familiar. We are no stranger to sacrifice. Do you resent those sacrifices, sisters? Do you want to raise your hands […]
Another Kind of Cost
It’s been an emotional day today. A mixture of excitement for the future while at the same time loss and grief for what that future implies. Twenty-five years ago, we were on the same path. Twenty-five years ago, we said good-bye to family and friends and took our little two month old baby boy to [...] Admitting the Ugly Truth
We moved to SE Asia with our 10 month old son in 2014. The rest of that year is pretty much a blur of language learning and culture shock but I do remember the next 2 years with perfect clarity. I spent the majority of that time trying to get pregnant, being pregnant or recovering […]
How Much Sacrifice is Too Much?
“Why are you running so hard?” the counselor asked us as we sat in his office a few years ago. My husband and I looked at each other, hoping the other would answer this question. We knew what the counselor saw, a life beyond full with ministry efforts, heaped on top of raising small children, […]
Never Underestimate Sacrifice
I often let my kiddos watch a story on my phone while I have my quiet time in the mornings. It is either that or just dump a box of Lucky Charms on the floor and let nature take its course. The story on my phone route seems like the lesser of two evils. During […]
Learning to Kiss It Goodbye
If we’re honest, I’d say many of us could name a biblical story, character or lesson that annoys, if not downright upsets us. I’ll admit to rolling my eyes at Peter and Paul’s quarreling or shaking my head at Jonah’s final act of helplessness (did those three days in the belly of a fish teach […]
The Unexpected Sacrifices
When I think of the word sacrifice, I picture many different things. I see Abraham with his knife raised obediently over his son. I can picture a long line of people waiting for a priest as he makes preparations to offer the next lamb on their behalf. I see Elijah who called down fire from […]
Build Your CABIN
As our friends are building their RAFT for leaving well, what do we “stayers” build? How about building your CABIN? C Count the Cost. Again. Remind yourself of the call and purpose that first brought you here. Remember how worthy He is. Rededicate all your being to the trustworthy One who is asking you to stay. […]
Idolatry and Comfort In The Home
I still remember the first time I returned to America and sank into bed. There was no thunk! I forgot that beds could be so soft. I hadn’t realized how much my own culture valued physical comfort until I learned that some cultures could replace “pillow-top” with “cloth-covered plywood” and still call it a mattress. […]