“Mom, no!!! I don’t want to ‘just cut off the moldly part and eat the rest of the cheese.’ That’s disgusting!!” I’m not sure if your kids have ever said this to you, but this statement has been said to me on more than one occasion. You see, growing up, my parents taught me many good things. One of them was to never be wasteful. I know their own parents were extremely conscious of not wasting food, water or electricity, especially because they lived during the Depression. Even wasting a product Read More
Push Through the Awkward to Say, “I Was Wrong.”
Has anyone else out there ever had trouble admitting they were wrong? What is it about these three little words? Recently I've come to realize how bad I am at apologizing in our marriage. I'm sure Colby has been trying to get me to see this about myself since early in marriage, but I've probably not been listening (a whole other issue that I struggle with!). The first time I really saw it, I was opening up to my best friend about a marital problem. "What, do you think you're perfect?" she Read More
Push Through the Awkward To Say “I Love you”
Recently I was reading something by Christine Hoover and was struck by the phrase she came up with: Push through the Awkward. I've used it many times since then because I think it does a good job capturing something. I got kind of inspired to write a "Push Through the Awkward" series last month. I'm really not sure if it'll be useful to anyone out there, but hopefully it will give you a little something to think about. I guess this post could also be titled, "When it's hard to say I love Read More
When You Lose Heart
Saturday was incredibly rough. I still don't even understand it all, but it was a big pot of pride and selfishness, mixed with exhaustion, and seasoned with despair. It seemed a knot too complex to ever unravel. I felt like throwing in the towel of ministry because of what a loser I was. Why even try? Why even try to minister to others when I can't even help myself? I'm not sure if you've ever been to the bottom of the pit, but I can assure you that it's dark and confusing and oppressive. Read More
Serving Without Fear
Those of you who write know how discouraging it can be. It's lonely and confusing to spend time working on something you're not convinced is valuable. I've explained it to Colby like this: Imagine you spend blood, sweat, and tears making a prop for a show, but you're not sure if the prop will ever get used. In fact, you're convinced it's been hung in the back hallway by the storage closet. Colby likes to remind me that I have no business wondering how the prop will be used. I should just do my Read More
Interview with Lisa Clymer Johnson: Part 1
I want to welcome someone really special to the blog today. Back in the 1990's, God brought Ross and Lisa Johnson to our church to serve as youth leaders. Lisa loved on me and therefore had a big impact on me as I navigated adolescence. What I remember most about Lisa from those years is her SMILE. She was always smiling. Always. Two years ago, Lisa and her family experienced trauma that no one was expecting. I've been following their story from a distance, but recently felt compelled to Read More
Meet Gelisa
Those of you who know me know that I love a good story. I love reading stories, telling stories...but most of all, discovering God stories...you know...stories that make you stand in awe of God's personal involvement and power. Recently I asked Jesus to send me some God stories that I could document and share on this blog. I'm so thankful that God brought Gelisa to our church three years ago. It's really quite the story, and I'm thankful that she's willing to share it. So, make sure you're Read More
The Mother’s Day Gift I Didn’t Ask For
Today is Mother’s Day and I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. After using all my energy to sit up, I asked Darcy if she’d be willing to bring me cereal in bed because it was--after all--Mother’s Day. “Mother’s DAY?!” She had apparently forgotten. I reminded her that she had made me a card earlier in the week that was waiting—unopened—on my dresser. Her panicking subsided, and she brought me Rice Chex and a card. We made it to church and I settled into the Kindergarten-2nd grade Read More