My parents have an amazing porch. It stretches across the entire front of the house, and it has three porch swings with plenty of space for two people. I grew up on this porch. I remember sitting on the wooden swing in the summers, lost in a good book. I remember walking up the steps…
Always Together
Together. Always Together And He says, “Let the seasons change. Let’s do something new and Scary and Different and Unlike anything we’ve done so far.” He says, “Together. We will do this together. Always together.” In November 2017, my world felt like it was spinning out of control. Events happened that I did not, could…
This is No Man’s Land
There is this space between Thailand and Burma. It’s no more than a half a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide. It runs right up to the river separating the two countries. This space of land belongs to no one. Thailand doesn’t want it. Burma doesn’t want it. This is No Man’s…
On Moving Halfway Across the World
We all have words or quotes or verses that shake us and stir something so deep within us. I still remember reading one that would shape the way I saw people and the way I saw the work God was doing in the lives of those around me–both strangers and friends. “There is no greater…
On Eucharist
“This is my body, which is given for you. This is my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” For thousands of years, the Church, the Body of Christ has come to the table with Jesus. They have broken bread and drank wine, all this in…
On Dinners Around the Table
I have a thing for the table, for food and friends and a place to gather and share a meal. To me, there is something wonderful about this space, about staying in instead of going out. There’s something beautiful about inviting people to pull up a chair, fill up their plate, and stay awhile. For…
On Saying No
I am, I believe, leaving behind a season of busy. It’s been a season of rushing, of making it through the work day, of making it through a busy evening, of sleeping for a couple of hours, of starting the process all over again. Day after day after day. It’s been a season of investing…
Pause. Notice.
There’s a tree across the street from my house, just to the right, fully visible through the window panes of my front porch. It bends and twists and stretches slightly crooked up to the sky. On mornings like today, the sun touches it little by little, and it seems so impossibly vibrant, the green of…
Retreats and Reminders
A dear friend sent me to a little cabin in the woods one year ago in April. She noticed my frantic soul, my chaotic mind and loved me enough to pay for a weekend away. That same year, she would retreat to that same cabin, and it was then and there that the Lord would…
Because of the Life I Saw You Live
Dear Grandpa, I don’t think I understood “goodbye” until September 2016. Truly and honestly, nothing is ever really goodbye until the final breath is taken. And I don’t think I understood what saying “goodbye” to a family member would really feel like. But I’ve been living in that reality for a couple of weeks now,…
Living What You Love
“Part of growing up is declaring what you love.” This isn’t the first time this blog has seen these words, this simple and holy phrase. But in case you missed it the last thousand times I’ve copied these words, I stole them from Shauna Niequist’s book, Bread and Wine. I also realize that this isn’t…
22
Yesterday I turned 23. I received texts and cards and Facebook notifications. People said so many kind words, words that reminded me of who I am to others and encouraged me. I spent time on the pond with my family and ate more watermelon in eight hours than the past 22 years combined. It was…
