Learning to love my imperfections through the perfect, Holy One

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

If you know anything about me, then you know I am a planner.  I love lists, todoist , and thinking about travel - just so I can get guidebooks and plan trips - going is definitely a plus, but dreaming about it and planning are okay with me too. And for the last 9 months of our lives, as we approached (and then crossed off) graduation - it seems we haven't been able to plan ANYTHING.  All we got was doors shut  slammed in our faces (or so it seems).  Overseas missions: NO. Working in a local Christian University: NO (or at least not yet). Working in a city near family: NO. Working in a denominational office: NO...that's just a few of the many. At the Senior Banquet Friday night in the closing prayer, Dr. Ligon Duncan (I think...) made a reference to how this world is not our home and how some of us would not see each other again until we are all together worshiping before the throne. And then it hit me - I'd been so stressed out about these last 9 months because I want

I haven't posted in a long time (obviously), but this post has been in my mind for awhile and I don't think it is going away. Over the last few weeks I  have become WAY more aware of internet animosity.  Have you read the comments section of any news story lately? (If you haven't - don't!) The comments are full of hate.  They are full of judgement.  From all sides.  Instead of spending too much time discussing that - and thus adding to the problem of internet hate, I want to suggest a solution for Christians. Remember that every single person in the whole world is created in the image of God.  " So God created man in his own image,  in the image of God he created him;  male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27, ESV   The immigrant (legal or illegal), the addict (sober or not), the incarcerated (innocent or guilty), the adoptive parents and the parents who had their parental rights terminated, the list goes on and on.   There are no exceptions to t