A Command Invitation
Our garage had become the storage space for all of the family stuff. We were the ones who lived in the same house for more than 25 years so naturally all family treasures were deposited in our garage. That was until we decided to go back overseas. We started sorting through all of the […]
Creating Space for God
My journal is laced with longings. Longings to love like Jesus. Longings for the fruit of the Spirit to be the foundation of my attitudes and deeds. Longings for His life to be expressed in and through me. Longings to access His strength in exhaustion. His wisdom in chaos. His compassion in fatigue. His goodness […]
Recounting My Ways
Each birthday I ask God for a passage to focus on for the coming year. That particular portion of Scripture becomes a companion, traveling with me as a challenging, comforting, transforming friend. And like a friend, as the months go by, shares more and more, revealing insights, subtleties and layers of meaning. This is what […]
The Life-Changing Magic of Praying For Salsa
My word for 2016 was SALSA. I know – not exactly a deep, soulful, year-centering word. But for me, it was a relief, a release of emotion from the not-exactly-met hopes of my previous one words “try” and “submit.” It’s not that those years were years of failure, but what I had hoped they’d mean – […]
A Mid-Winter’s Lament
“I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell, I know right now you can’t tell, but stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see a different side of me.” (“Unwell” by Matchbox Twenty) I played the song for my teammates because it explained my melancholy state of existence in a way I couldn’t. I don’t even […]
A Craving Worth Satisfying
It only takes a few weeks overseas for the cravings to begin. It depends on where you live and what is unavailable, but it’s easy to come up with a list of things we crave. The cravings usually begin with foods that aren’t really accessible. Here, it’s things like good pizza, Mexican food, tasty ice […]
A Cord of Three Strands
You might remember an article from The Culture Blend late last year. Writer Jerry Jones dissected the never-ending transition of overseas workers and expat transplants known as Goers, Stayers and Newbies. If you’re like me and the 94 commenters on the article, I’m guessing his thoughts resonated with you, too. I’m a Goer. Call it […]
What Your Soul Craves
This life is not for the faint of heart. We are called to God-sized assignments designed to impact eternity. We tackle the big stuff. This work is demanding, exhausting, overwhelming. We live lives layered with transition, cumulative loss and grief. We are exposed to unfiltered injustice, abuse, poverty, heart wrenching circumstances up close and personal. […]
Finding Refreshment During Transition
When I began preparing for my transition back to the States, I scheduled time to visit places in Ireland one last time and to meet with friends to say goodbye. My last weekend in country was spent at the home of close friends. Even though time alone makes me feel most refreshed, I knew part […]
You Can Keep Your Superwoman Badge + Crock Pot Pulled Pork
I’ve had a blog half-written for over 3 months now. The topic? Why we American mamas have such a hard time resting—literally laying still—after giving birth. It’s like we have this unwritten rule that we have to show off our new little bundle, whether it be at a function, out to eat, or shucks, even […]
Is “Rest” a Dirty Word In Your Vocabulary?
Are you feeling…. disheartened, disappointed, baffled, undone, weak, exhausted, drooping, drained, fatigued, wiped out, fed up, zonked? Too pooped to participate? Do you wonder why you have lost patience, compassion, energy, drive, tenderness, grace, kindness and mercy? It is all too common these days for us to become physically spent, emotionally weary, mentally overwhelmed and […]
This Week’s Prompt: Soul Care
When we launched registration for the Velvet Ashes Retreat, the thing we kept hearing from women across the world was, “I really need this!” The Retreat was an invitation for all of us women to actually do what our souls were longing for. To stop. To rest. To renew. Our hope and prayer is that the Retreat […]