As I begin writing again, I can’t help but recognize the books that have impacted me this year and share my book list with you. It has been a year of growth, introspection, counseling, truth-telling and learning to simply have compassion on myself. I’ve learned that the lessons of just keep going have truly kept …
6 Ways to Savor the Moment
Savor the moment Enjoy the journey Stop and smell the roses Capture the fluffy moments These are simple phrases that are not always so simple to live out in our day-to-day lives. I find myself in a season of constant change, transition and growth. From language school to West Africa to living stateside for a …
How to Return, Recover and Rebound
There are moments in our lives for building resilience in ways we never expected or knew we needed. Moments that remind us to trust, hope and move forward in faith. One such moment happened on our flight from West Africa to Michigan at the end of our first term overseas. We only had about 20 …
Learning to Capture Joyful, Fluffy Moments
Learning to capture joyful moments, or capture the fluffy moments, in overseas life can be challenging. Stopping, smiling and enjoying the simple joys can quickly get lost in the stress, busyness and unknowns of the passing hours. Yet, each day is an opportunity to capture joyful moments, to see what God is doing around us …
How to Make New Lists Overseas
You know how much I love a good list. I can make lists for anything. Right now, there are two notebooks and two sticky note pads with lists on them sitting on the desk next to me. I have apps on my phone for list making and programs to keep track of this or that. …
Little Disappointments
It had been a long day in a long line of other long days dealing with disappointment. The confusion of a myriad of topics was running through my brain. Temperatures were not extreme but the constant beaming sun, dusty wind and dry air was making me thirsty, tired and possibly even irritable. Dinner time was …
When Beauty Remains
The beauty of life is something I’ve been pondering and learning. Every day, while taking my girls to school, I pass a beautiful courtyard garden. There are flowers of many kinds shouting bright pinks, yellow, and purples. One set of rose bushes are particularly gorgeous. They stand tall and have this magnificent pinkish mauve color. …
Looking up
Looking up in the crazy times of life is not easy. This is our life. Constantly crazy. Unsettled. Always on the move. Going. going. going. But, it is an adventure. A whirlwind of fun that God is leading us in. An adventure that I often find myself negotiating out of or wishing was easier or …
Greater Joy
Greater joy sounds like an awesome goal. But some of us have trouble finding real joy let alone finding an even greater joy. We try to find joy at work or in ministry or in our kids or in social media. We fill our need for greater joy with things we think will make us …
