Blog + Vlog
Part 3: A Day in Their Life
Note to Reader: The following narrative is based on information I learned through informal interviews and witnessed with my own eyes while visiting several villages in Uganda in June 2011. It does not describe a particular woman or family, rather it is my attempt to...
Part 2: When Two Worlds Collide
Imagine that you wake up one day in a place very different from all that is familiar to you. Everywhere you look there is something new to see and experience. You stare in awe at the unfamiliar sights and sounds, trying to take it all in, but sensing that you can...
Part 1: Leaving On a Jet Plane
Planning is fun. Leaving is hard. Over the past few months I have managed to compartmentalize this trip into a neat box sitting on the shelf. Every day I knew it was getting one step closer, but still it remained an adventure yet to be fully realized. About a week...
Heart of Dependence (Week 9)
It was early afternoon, four years ago, when I slid to the kitchen floor sobbing hysterically with an infant in my arms as my 2-year-old stubbornly refused me, yet again. I look back and know that I was at the end of my rope. Yet I never let anyone know, not...
Heeding the Whispers: My Journey to Africa (Week 8)
This is a story of how whispers become action. How God works in, around, and through us to open our hearts to things we never could have imagined. This is the story of how last week I was looking forward to a relaxing summer, and this week I am looking forward to a...
When the Truth Hurts – Week 7
It was evaluation time, again. That wonderful time of year when I get to see exactly what my students think of me, no holds barred. 24 feedback surveys from last semester's class. Fabulous results. Great scores. With the exception of 2 forms with hastily scrawled...
Week 6: One Step at a Time
Feet pound the pavement. Breath labors too fast, and I tell myself to BREATHE. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Every urge tells me to pant faster and faster. Instead, I slow down my breath. Slowly, rhythmically, I get it under control. Why did I sign...
Week 5: It’s the Little Things That Count
Happy Valentine's Day! It may be a made-up holiday, but Valentine's Day is a good reminder that showing love is important. There have been three deaths just recently that have made me intensely aware of the fleeting nature of our lives. One spirited, dearly beloved...
In Everything, Give Thanks
And it begins... 1. The feel and smell of the baby-shampooed head leaning on my shoulder. 2. Wood, stacked and fridge, full in preparation for the winter weather ahead. 3. Shiny pennies just restored through the unlikely polish of ketchup. 4. Candles lit by little...
Week 4: Hurry Hurts
Her six-year-old hand cautiously strikes the match, and she slowly, reverently gives light to the candle. I'm struck by the care she takes. Her pride in performing a task that I take for granted. Small eyes watch the flame dance, the smoke swirl into...
Week 3: When Plans are Made to be Broken
"Mommy, will you play pet shops with me?" the little voice pleads. I sigh and look up from the computer, stare at my to-do list a mile long. I begin to utter the familiar words, "Not right now sweetheart. Maybe in a little awhile." Then I remember. Soon I will be...
Week Two: Extraordinary in the Ordinary
A wise man once said, '"To be still sometimes requires great effort." That is according to my new box of Tazo Rest tea! It is true, though, what the wise man once said. Here I am, two weeks into my quest to seek the still in 2011, and I am already feeling like it...
Sitting on the Sideline
I was in 6th grade, traveling through our small town in our big gray Oldsmobile with my mom and sister. The rain was falling from the sky. I was warm and cozy on the soft, gray seats. An elderly woman walked on the sidewalk holding her purse tightly to her. She...
Giving Up Control
As I reflect upon week one, I find myself coming back to the issue of control. I am a first-born who likes to be in control. I drool over new calendars, planners, and the organizational section of any store. Little makes me happier than a clean house, to-do lists,...
Week One: About Being Still
Verse 10 of Psalm 46 commands us to "Be still, and know that I am God." At first glance that command sounds wonderful. Rest, relaxation, a ticket to ignoring my messy house, jobs undone or misbehaving children. A perpetual vacation. Unfortunately, I don't think...
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