Simplifying… me

Jasper and I are in a constant battle of the wills.
He wants to eat snacks all. day. long.  In season and out of season.
And I, being his wise and concerned mother, know that eating snacks all day long is neither healthy nor beneficial. So, when he cries out for – i.e. demands – crisps (chips), [...]

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Last week, as the kids and I were climbing into the car so that I could drive them to school, Sydney asked me a question to which I responded in a short and irritable tone of voice. This set off a chain of reactions and human behavior that made the car ride, or at least [...]

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We bought Jasper a coloring book and a set of jumbo crayons to keep him entertained on our long road trips. He’s three, so for him the thrill of the activity is simply the fact that he can make marks on the paper and scribble to his heart’s delight and nobody is going to stop [...]

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“We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 75:1
The nearness of His presence is as close as the mention of His name.
When we declare the goodness of God, when we tell others of his wonderful deeds – all that he has done – God [...]

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“Every beginning is a consequence. Every beginning ends something.” Paul Valery, French Poet
We are officially in the “in-between”.
I wrote a little on transitions here and here back in January. Today I am revisiting this topic as we are a year into our journey towards career missionary work and almost five months deep into the complete [...]

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I’m a simple girl.
Maybe “average girl” would be a better way to describe me. Truly. I was never the super star in school, in sports, in anything. I usually found myself somewhere in the middle. Plain Amy. Brown hair, brown eyes, mediocre basketball skills, and boasting more B’s than A’s on my report card. I [...]

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“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Looking out of the kitchen window I see gray skies. The springtime rain is more of a mist falling from [...]

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Grieving is a funny thing.
It’s amazing how you can be rolling along, smelling roses and such, and all of a sudden…BAM…it hits you. It comes out of nowhere, this longing for the old normal, and how unsteady you feel in the new normal. Maybe it’s a conversation with a friend or colleague, or maybe you’re [...]

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Gracious God in the morning
Your guiding hand through the day
You hold my moments and my mistakes
You are never far away.
Glorious God of the sunset
Painting skies in marvelous hues
Your patient love sustains me
Your promise will see me through.
Generous God of the bedtime hour
When I lay my head down for the night
You have been my sure provider
You [...]

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The struggle is real.
Disappointment happens. Things don’t go the way we thought they would. Friends stop being friendly. Boyfriends and girlfriends break up. We don’t get the solo in the school performance. We don’t make the team. Our team loses the game. People move away. Jobs change. Homes change. We wrestle with sickness, financial hardship, [...]

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