Learning to love my imperfections through the perfect, Holy One

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 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...

I want to the government shutdown to end as much as anyone.  But probably not for the reasons you might think.  I am sick of the facebook judgements that have come along with it. I have (what I think) is a unique experience.  I have a master's degree in Social Work.  I studied poverty, social justice, social programs, child welfare.  I worked in a Children's home and a Medicaid contract program.  Now (at least according to the federal guidelines), I live on the poverty line. My family chose this so my husband could go to graduate school.  But while I understood the mathematical costs, and I was am trusting that we are following God's will, it's still hard.  I didn't know there would be an emotional cost.  They can't teach you that in graduate school (they do try, but you can't fully understand something you have never experienced). Over the last year my family has been on most of the major social welfare programs: Medicaid, food stamp...

I'm a little afraid to start blogging again.  Not because I'm bad at it.  But because when you start, people start reading.  Then they come back.  And they want to read more. (Hi Mom!) I read lots of  "professional" blogs, by that I mean people who make their livelihood off their writing, and blogging is one of their platforms.  Their blogs have a cohesive theme, they post at regular intervals, they have fancy web-designers (or talented husbands), and they seem to know what they are writing about. This won't be that blog.  Last time I dropped out of the blogging world because I couldn't find what I wanted my voice to be.  Do I write about motherhood (at the time I was a full-time stay at home mom)? No, I didn't have all the answers.  Do I write about Christianity/Spiritual things? No, I didn't have all the answers.  Social work/social justice?  I didn't work in the field anymore, and I didn't have all the answers.  Fashion?...