When God starts chopping away at the branches of my life, I can’t say that I am full of joyful surrender. I typically resist the spiritual machete that starts swinging in my direction. I don’t want it. “God, you can keep your machete to yourself. I’ll happily live with overgrown branches and dead limbs.” But [...]
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The Least.
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I [...]
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Posted in 2023, Africa, Faith, Grace, Gratitude, Hope, Life, Marriage, Ministry, Motherhood, Peace, Spirit-Filled Life, missions on Feb 21st, 2023
Self-care in a season of chaos.
When we moved to South Africa, I had come out of a very challenging season in Malawi. It was hard on all fronts – from helping our children transition, to navigating life in a foreign country, the ever-precarious visa process, the insurgence of Covid-19, to understanding a new organization [...]
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He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11
I’ve been a little obsessed with the animal kingdom lately. We were at a game reserve last year, and there seemed to have been a baby boom [...]
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Transitioning with littles and special needs.
I’ve shared our experience with transitioning with our older children. What about younger children? What does this process of transition look like with a three-year-old? Or a five-year-old? And, even more so, what about a child who has special needs- who, perhaps, cannot articulate their feelings verbally?
Jasper was three [...]
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How to Transition Well in a Season of Chaos
1. Give your people space to speak up and process.
Silence is not always a good sign. We often misread silent cooperation as a sign of compliance and agreement, when, in fact, what is going on internally is the complete opposite. The silent follower will eventually silently walk [...]
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Recalibrate.
New year. New word. New focus.
This year my word is “Recalibrate”.
“Recalibrate” is not a word that I particularly like. It doesn’t immediately jump out to me or inspire me. It’s the kind of word that Joel would choose, or my dad. To me, it sounds very masculine, not very poetic (and I love poetic words!).
Still, [...]
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Posted in 2022, Faith, Grace, Hope, Joy, Life, Motherhood, Trust on Oct 6th, 2022
Dear Mom of a child who is on the autism spectrum…I just want to say something to you today.
Whether you are on the back-and-forth pendulum swinging from grief to relief with a brand new diagnosis, or if you are still wondering – somewhere in the back of your mind – if there is something more [...]
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“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Transitions are…
Hard.
The in-between…the not 100% here, the not there yet, the balancing of the chaos and the uncertainty of where we are currently…is hard.
It sometimes feels like transition will last forever.
But thankfully, it doesn’t.
It is a stepping-stone, uncomfortable as [...]
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Christmas day, wrapping paper scattered across the floor and turkey leftovers sitting on the kitchen counter, I sat on the couch and hit the mental replay button over the last 24 hours. Days were spent in the kitchen preparing all the yummy Christmas favorites- from sweet potato casserole to stuffing made from scratch, to pumpkin [...]
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