One day as I was vacuuming our stairs with our dust-buster, the hose attachment broke. I had only cleaned halfway up the first of three flights of stairs in our townhouse. "What am I supposed to do now," I wailed in frustration. "You could try the shop-vac in the garage!" my husband suggested. I had …
Category: Faith
Facing Fear with Faith
It rained last month in San Diego. As is usually the case, TV journalists were on the scene, standing in front of puddles and cautioning drivers everywhere. In our family, wet weather means my husband can't ride his bike to work, so we all pile into the family car to drop him off then bring …
Grace for the New Year
We're a few days into January and I've been bombarded for what seems like weeks with messages about becoming a new and better version of myself in 2019. Between magazines at the checkout aisle, to TV commercials, to my email inbox, even to my Instagram feed, everyone wants to tell me how to meet my …
On Playing your Note
I took my boys to the Christmas concert at church on Sunday afternoon, our first time going. At four and six years old, I hoped they could sit through an hour of beautiful musical performances. They burned off some extra energy at the reception beforehand, running around the tables with their little friends and sneaking …
Dressember – On Stewarding my Privilege
Yesterday, millions of Americans gathered around their tables to give thanks for their blessings. I was one of them, and thinking over the many blessings in my life was truly humbling. I was born into a loving family in the richest nation in the world; I have a college education, and a husband with a …
Jesus, Interrupted: Thoughts on Alone Time
I'd like to think that Jesus was an introvert, just like me. Never mind that he had twelve men always at his side, and that he dealt with crowds on a regular basis. An introvert is someone who draws energy from being alone, and there are a number of occasions when Jesus withdraws to a …
On Doing Big Things for God
When I was seven, my parents walked away from everything they knew to become life-long missionaries to France. My dad had been a high school chemistry teacher and volleyball coach, my mom stayed at home with my me and my two siblings in our two bedroom house in southern California. Moving to France was both …
