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Lent and Longing
When we anticipated Lent this year, I felt hopeful – maybe an odd emotion for the season, but we were in the throes of late summer. As for our family, we live nearly at the bottom of the African continent, and our mornings were just beginning to start later, with a chilly air, prompting my…
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Facing the Brokenness
On our way home from town last weekend, we passed a familiar sight: a man digging through a bag of trash, someone else’s trash. And my heart broke. I’m still so affected by this, I thought, having lived in our African town for nearly eight years. My next thought followed instantaneously, Lord, please don’t ever…
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Grace for the Busy Season
There’s a hint of pink in my cheeks as I write this title. Wasn’t I just writing about tuning out, and slowing down, and the quiet life? Haven’t I thought abundantly and spoken often against the hurry and busyness that we are so often drawn into? I have been challenged – continuously over the past…
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Worthy Reads of 2022
Are these going to be the best books I read 2022? I don’t know, but these are the ones that have stuck with me, that I have cried through and that have touched my heart, that I have begged friends to read so we can discuss, that I have underlined in and highlighted and will…
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Home as a Holy Space
Recently, with winter approaching, I pitched the idea to Ben to open up the long, unused fireplace in our school room. At some point, many years ago, there was a working fireplace in that room, but it was sealed and stacked with shelves where we’ve kept the kids’ toys and puzzles for the past five…
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On Perfectionism
I’ve never been a perfectionist; or so I thought. When I think of perfectionism, I think of my sweet mother, who made certain her quilt’s corners were flawlessly square and cringed as I eye-balled all of mine; or, my brother adjusting every setting on his camera until the exact balance is achieved while I snap…
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