Even a pastor and his wife have their moments of weakness, right? (oh please tell me I’m right.) Sometimes… we get lost on trips and tension runs high. we think I’ve lost my iPod and I start freaking out. we bicker. we disagree on the right course of action or discipline. we treat other with […]
The One with a Personal Strawberry Race
Albion Free Methodist Run for God Group This morning I ran my second 5k race–the Albion Strawberry Festival 5k–alongside 30 other green-shirted Run for God runners from our church and community. It was an exhilarating experience to be a part of something bigger than myself, bigger than a race. This group had trained together, learned from each […]
The One with the Pain of Forgetting
Last weekend on my quick drive through my hometown, my mom and I stopped by the assisted living facility to visit my Grandma Mary. Grandma has had many health scares in the past few years, and always it’s hard to know if and when to rush to her side (me being a few hours away.) […]
The One with the Laundry Faux Pas
I have a confession to make–I don’t do laundry “right.” I know all the rules. My mom taught me well. But somewhere along the road (actually, I know exactly “where” it happened) I threw it out the window. (The window, the second story window. High, low. Low, high. Threw it out the window.) I was […]
The One with the Blood Drive Trauma
Tuesday afternoon I took a walk around the block to the local Red Cross Blood Drive. I have been a fairly regular donor for the past 9 years–ever since that fateful day in 11th grade when the Blood Drive came to my high school. That first experience was memorable–but for all the wrong reasons. […]
The One on Modesty
After sharing my convictions and experience on the subject of high school dating, my 17 year old friend from Michigan also wanted my input on MODESTY. Oooh, modesty is another very important topic–for middle school and high school girls, but also for women of any age. I Peter 3: 3-4Your beauty should not come […]
The One on High School Dating
edited to add: This mini-dissertation uses the lens of high school dating, but please know that I believe these principles can be applied to dating at any age and stage of life. — Recently I was contacted by a 17 year old girl I got to know during my youth min years in Michigan. She […]
The One with the Cat Chaos
If you saw my Facebook page last week you may have noticed we adopted a cat. After the heartbreaking process of leaving our first kitties–Butterscotch and Maisy–back in Michigan because our landlord wouldn’t allow pets, we were starting to feel lonely. We really, really loved those stupid cats–despite their vomit and poo and meowing and climbing […]
The One with My “Type A” Rationale
Currently our daily chronological Bible reading has Kevin and I reading through Exodus. The crazy thing is, I have no idea how many times I have previously studied through these passages, but reading straight through them in order brings so many details to light. Almost daily, Kevin hears me exclaim my startling realization. Today’s proclamation was, “Oh […]
The One with the Note to Self {Teen Weekend}
The Five Minute Friday Prompt was REAL. So I wrote a letter to myself. My Saturday-self. —- Dear Melanie, Today you are spending your time with 18 high schoolers. You have the opportunity to get to know them–really know them. This is the quality time you’ve been looking forward to, hoping for. When time doesn’t […]