Learning to love my imperfections through the perfect, Holy One

Five and a half years ago when we were preparing to make our move from Tuscaloosa (Roll Tide!) to come to seminary, I didn't have any idea what would happen once we graduated.  But I knew it would be a "grand adventure". Would we be headed somewhere for a PhD program? Would I be assuming the role of "pastor's wife" (a role I wasn't sure I wanted)?  Would we be moving out of the country as missionaries?  It never crossed my mind that we would stay.  "Jackson", I thought to myself, "is just a temporary place until we're given the real assignment." How wrong I was.  As we went through 18 months of job-hunting, missions-agency applying, and presbytery-intern-finishing - I kept looking for what's next.  I kept thinking God was teaching me about patience.  I was even so foolish (stubborn?) at one point as to think - "oh I can out-wait God....no matter how long he has us waiting...I will do it."  Doors kept closing.  I

My oldest child just had a birthday and we're now done with the "little years" and into what the experts call "middle childhood". This got me thinking back to the year I found out I was pregnant with her and the many ways my life has changed since.  Let's take a (slight) step back in time to our former president's first run for President, a (new) economic crisis, and my list. "What List?" I can hear you thinking. (Or if you actually know me, " which list?") The one my newlywed husband and I made on our first married New Year's Day (totally my idea).  This list contained goals: personal, professional, spiritual, family.  I still have it tucked away.  In the category of "family", the "long-range/5yr" plan said: "think about having a baby or adopting". And that was all the thought I gave to a family for about 9 months.  I was finishing grad school.  I had an internship to complete.  All A's to m

Recently I found myself taking routes home that were "off the beaten path" - err...at least off my beaten path.  You know - the one you can almost drive it in your sleep because you drive it all. the. time. I found myself  driving home from some leisurely Saturday morning errands with the girls so my husband could attend a work webinar at home in peace.  Without warning I came across an intersection that was blocked off by police cars.  I could see what I thought what looked like a utility truck but nothing else.  (I'm that person who tries to see around all the cars but who really can't see anything in my 4-door sedan surrounded by pickup trucks and SUVs.) I was hungry. I was ready to get home.  And if I'm being completely honest I was a little miffed that my Saturday morning task was to occupy the kids so my husband could work - after all he had been at work all week.  Wasn't Saturday my time? But there was no going through this area - emergency pers

After a week of sickness (a fierce cold and a mild stomach bug that. never. ends.) and being cooped up, all the people in my house (grown-ups included) were going a little stir crazy.  One of the littles asked if we could go for a walk before supper - looking for any excuse to get out of the house - we agreed. Since we never really had winter, everything is already blooming.  We were walking past one particularly unkempt yard and my husband commented on how it needed to be cleaned up. Two and a half feet below us we heard "Look at that beautiful yard with all the flowers!" It's amazing how two sets of eyes can see two totally different things. One sees what could be with work, care & tending.  Another accepts what is and doesn't think twice. That's why discipling our children is so important.  If we don't take the time to teach our faith and our convictions to them, they will never know that their "beautiful flowers" are actually weeds

As someone who has a masters degree in Social Work and a member of a conservative Christian denomination , my facebook feed spans the political gamut. To quote a favorite show of mine , I find myself "fiercely independent", leaning left on some issues and leaning right on others.  I voted for neither major-party candidate in the most recent election - opting to write in the person I thought was the best choice - despite living in a state where my write-in vote wouldn't count. This weekend my facebook is angry on both sides - and both are right - partially. The left is correct to be angry at a President who has made derogatory remarks at almost every minority group in America.  The right is right to fight for the rights of the unborn as image-bearers and to tell the left they are wrong on this very important issue. As Christians, we need to see all people as image-bearers.  This means immigrants - legal or not, those who look like us - or don't, those who think lik