2011

[bl]M[/bl]ost of us are able to avoid unsafe situations if we have the money and resources to place ourselves in particular environments. Towns further from the city. Suburban neighborhoods. Schools that are not as diverse. Homes that lock us in and keep trouble out. But what if you don’t have the resources to live in these types of environments? What if you were born into a much different place? Or choices and circumstances out of your control have limited your options of where to live?  What then? These people want to feel the same level of comfort and safety that […]

40 miles on his 40th birthday. A number set apart by God as significant. 40 days of rain, 40 days on a mountain, 40 years of wandering, 40 days of fasting – all associated with periods of probation or testing. 40 miles of running — an incredible goal, a trial, a journey he won’t forget. The 40 mile part is impressive on its own. But what was really amazing is how my friend Andy made his personal goal a community effort and blessing. Andy asked several of his close friends and family to journey with him, to run 4 mile […]

[bl]T[/bl]here are places that take you from here to there. The places in between where you’re leaving, and where you’re going. The unknown places where you’re searching, understanding, discovering, grieving, exploring, resting, anticipating. These places are bittersweet. They can taste of insecurity and loneliness. Or fear and unknowing. Sorrow and doubt. Anxiety with deep excitement. Complacency and fatigue. Hope and longing. Even pain and suffering. But when you depart from this in between place and you finally enter into your new reality – a new way of living — a seed of appreciation takes root. And you become thankful for […]

[bl]T[/bl]he books in our home tell our story. The words we’ve read, the pages we’ve flipped and turned down and noted – they speak to us, about us. If you didn’t know our family, you would learn about choices we’ve made, intentional lifestyles, places we’ve been, people we love, habits and interests – just by glancing through our bookshelves. The books tell our story because either we’ve purchased books to reinforce already adopted ideas, or the books we find ourselves reading introduce new values that eventually become apart of who we are. These books, they tell where we’ve journeyed. The […]

[bl]T[/bl]oday I share with you the words of my hospitable friend. A friend who is an environment of grace. Who knows how to welcome and invite people into her home, into her heart. Her life is a story that points to God’s story. And I’m excited to introduce you to her. Her name is Katie. She lives in Jinja, Uganda, the place God called her to love like Jesus. She arrived while our family was living there. She is a young twenty something who lives like a wise woman who finally gets what life is about. People. Faith. Love. Service. […]

[bl]T[/bl]he sun hidden by clouds, my positive attitude hidden by discouragement. Rain poured from the sky, complaints poured from my mouth. This was the week we moved, and this was the week it rained every. single. day. I was set up to fail…or, missed an opportunity to rise above. The husband I love to be with is either in the other car or at the other house. All five children in tow for my tasks because Mark’s seem more urgent. We’re doing renovation to one house, while closing and packing up another. And suddenly time has run out and even […]

[bl]I[/bl]t’s not the paint. But I sure love to surround myself with color. It’s not the furniture. But the wood piece we call The Moses is super special to me. It’s not the kitchen. Though I can’t wait to organize the room I frequent the most. It’s not even the beds. But ours are cozy with feathers and down. It’s not the framed pictures, though I love filling my rooms with the faces of people I love. It’s not the big comfortable couch. But I can’t wait to pile on it for family movie night. What makes a house a […]

[bl]H[/bl]is predictions were wrong. No one was left behind because we all remain. Remain to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. And even though the world didn’t end for all people, it has for some. Tornadoes touched, and the whole world of a city lies in ruin. What’s left behind is rubble, death, loss. A gun shot in Texas buried the world of a family and what’s left behind is grief, emptiness, and unending questions of sorrow. And we can only hope in confidence that God will rapture the hearts of those hurting. That he will take them […]

Boxes stacked. Cabinets and closets mostly empty. A kitchen that doesn’t serve. Clean laundry waiting for hands to fold and put away. Children under foot. Bedrooms disbanded. Rain interrupting. Husband and wife going in different directions to the same place. And the heavy weight of having too much stuff. This is not the kind of environment that encourages grace. It’s more likely to produce bickering, impatience, disconnect, and anger. And I, for one, stand guilty today. Of all of it! Guilty of letting my environment negatively influence my responses and behavior. We are affected by our environments. They have the […]

[bl]T[/bl]oday I share a recipe for my all time favorite cleaning solution. It is especially great for windows and mirrors – in my opinion the best solution around! But I also use it on counters in my kitchen and bathrooms. You can find the recipe online, but I got it from my sister and teacher of how to keep a clean house. The recipe makes a gallon of solution to be divided into several empty cleaning bottles. After you get used to the proportions, you should be able to make smaller amounts, even wing the ingredients for one small bottle. […]