I am very grateful for the church I grew up in for many reasons. It is a place where I felt loved by a community and found friendship during times of being bullied at school. It is where I came to understand Scripture and the idea that God is relational. My mom was on executive … Continue reading Complicit.
The Posture of Listening
She began her life in the United States in a Vietnamese refugee camp. Soon after she moved to Oregon and at some point met her New Zealander husband, settled down, and began a family. She has a son and a daughter who are both in high school. **** I sat with my hair in foils … Continue reading The Posture of Listening
Zebras.
This time would be different. I was worn out on conferences - tired of feeling like my resume mattered more than my heart. I was tired of being just known enough by those involved in my wheelhouse conferences, but not enough to ever be invited to the table in any fashion. I was tired of … Continue reading Zebras.
Eye of the Storm
We knew there would be rain. It's the Pacific Northwest. And it is La Niña. So there is always rain. What we did not know, when we escaped to the Oregon Coast for a couple of nights as a family, is that there was a tremendous storm rolling in. And we would be, for a … Continue reading Eye of the Storm
Marta
When I was in sixth grade, I got a demonstrable case of acne. And back in the day, the prescribed treatment was to avoid chocolate and to apply an alcohol-based stringent to my face twice a day. Always the over-achiever, I applied at least four or five times a day resulting in a permanent tomato-hued face. … Continue reading Marta
Give Him Your Cloak, Too
Matthew 5:38-48; The Message (MSG) Love Your Enemies 38-42 “Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues … Continue reading Give Him Your Cloak, Too
Him
He grew up under the last remnants of Communism - red neck scarf and in formation bootleg movies from the West the permeation of grey. The son of an engineer, who wanted to be a professional violinist, and an ophthalmologist. The grandson of an army general, who was in charge of a smattering of spa … Continue reading Him
This is Me
Like most of you, I am a huge fan of the television show, This is Us. And last night's episode was no exception, so if you have not yet seen it, consider this your spoiler alert. As per usual, I DVR'd the episode so that I could watch it today by myself with no risk … Continue reading This is Me
2017:: My One Word – BadAss.
I know I took advantage of the "bait the hook" of writing in the title to this blog post. I did that purposefully because if the title compelled you to cringe - even just a little bit - just know that I do as well. And that is exactly why this word is so important … Continue reading 2017:: My One Word – BadAss.
The Greatest of These
We move into our new home on Sunday. This move has been a source of panic attacks and sadness for me and I have had trouble understanding why. I mean, this should be a source of joy and gratitude, right? What is wrong with me that I have felt anxiety and dread? One of the … Continue reading The Greatest of These