Dear Kirsten Grace, Sweet daughter of mine, I am so thankful God chose to give me a gift I could never deserve. Each day His goodness keeps unfolding like a glorious flower, petal after petal, in the beauty of who you are. I pray I will never cease proclaiming His glory, never forget to live out […]
My Postpartum Self
My dear sweet Kirsten, This is the first letter I’m writing to you as I look at your sweet little face, asleep and expressive right beside me. Last night was the hardest night yet, mostly because you’ve been such an amazing sleeper and eater. I think the most difficult part of your crying is when […]
Advent Waiting: Mine and Mary’s
In December 2013, I wrote about Advent and shared my confession of our own season of waiting. I thought it appropriate to revisit that post as I await the birth of our long-awaited child. From “Advent: a Reminder to Wake Up“ The difficulty is in this time of liminal space (as described by Richard Rohr) in […]
Broken for You
On my morning walk before church I prayed. I was anticipating Holy Communion and asked God to examine my heart and cleanse me. I wanted to be a temple worthy to take part in the body and blood of our Lord Jesus. And He met me. Right in the middle of struggle. He had heard […]
The Summer Blur
Dear Little One, This is a busy summer for your Dad and me. It’s been fun having so many friends get to share in our excitement in person. Hugs abound, enthusiasm for the Lord’s bounty is proclaimed, and a few “bump grabs” have been occurring. (For the record, I have started to show in a bit more […]
The Soul’s Winter
It can’t stay winter forever. At least that’s what we fervently hope every February or March as the bitter winds blow and the snow clouds roll in day after day. The first time you shovel or don a winter cap it feels exciting and new. But months into a Midwestern winter you begin praying for signs up […]
The First Year
Dear Little One, Today marks our 1 Year Anniversary of pastoral ministry at Monroe Free Methodist Church. Your Daddy was ordained last May, and appointed as Senior Pastor here in June. His first Sunday in the pulpit (and mine at the piano) was June 29th, 2014. It’s been a fast year, a hard year, a wonderful […]
Why Yoga
As of May 8th, 2015, I have completed my 225 hour certification program to become a Registered Holy Yoga Instructor (R-HYI). The journey to this moment is many years long, winding and God-led. Allow me to share. In 2009 I began exploring the blog world and happened upon the writings of a girl named Mandy […]
The Waiting Space
It is the time between death and resurrection, the already and the not-yet of God’s kingdom, that is often the most painful. We wonder when our answer will appear, wanting desperately to have a clear picture of what God is doing in this waiting space. And each of us has been there, haven’t we? Perhaps […]
Over Our Heads
Dear Child of Mine, It is with a heavy heart I write to you this morning. I’d rather just forget all of this, refusing to acknowledge these circumstances. But I am convinced by the Spirit of God that even these dark days are part of my story. The tapestry of my life is being woven […]