It was my husband Andrew’s idea. We were missionaries in Far East Russia, and we’d experienced an endless winter against a pane of cheerless Siberian skies. My four children and I all felt the restlessness that creeps under the skin after a monotonous schedule and needed a change of scenery – something to brighten our landscape as we plodded into …
In Others’ Words: Eyes Wide Open (Guest Post by Author Rachel Hauck)
I’m a big sister. The second oldest of five kids with an older brother, two younger and a baby sister. At the age of eight, I’d mastered changing cloth, double diapers held together with stick pins! At ten, I went to my first babysitting job. It was the family next door, but still … I loved children. They loved me. …
In Others’ Words: Compassion
Let’s end the week with a bit of hope, shall we? And there is an abundance of hope in Lisa Harper’s statement. Compassion encompassing mistakes … even more, Christ’s miraculous compassion obliterating my worst mistake. So much hope. How can I grasp it? Sometimes I forget this unfathomable truth. I forget the amazing should-bring-me-to-my-knees reality that I am forgiven. That …
In Others’ Words: Error
This quote by author George Saunders came from a college commencement speech he delivered at Syracuse University this past May. When I read Saunder’s speech, posted in the New York Times, I stumbled into this quote — Err in the direction of kindness — and knew I’d be posting it on this blog. Erring in the direction of kindness. A …
In Others’ Words: Reflect
My friend, author Edie Melson, stopped me in my mental tracks this weekend. In a post titled “Only Still Water Reflects,” posted this past Sunday on her blog The Write Conversation, Edie wrote of the busy-ness of life, and how a recent seven-day vacation at the beach helped her realize that only by slowing down, by living in God’s rhythm, can …
In Others’ Words: Love is …
I’ve come across many a “Love is …” attempt to define an emotion that is, in essence, undefinable. Even the “Love is patient, love is kind … ” distillation so often read during wedding ceremonies, often stumps me before I get very far into the verses in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient … kind … it does not envy …
In Others’ Words: Chosen
God has picked me. God has chosen me. All those times I felt invisible . . . ignored . . . unwanted . . . less than . . . God wanted me. If only I had worried less about all the people I was trying to please, jumping up and down, waving my hands, shouting, “Hey! I’m over here! …
In Others’ Words: Grasp (Guest Post by writer Pepper Basham)
Just the Way You Are, my work-in-progress (WIP), is the story of a single mom whose ex-husband not only left her for a younger model, but also left her with a wealth of insecurities. Throughout the story, she’s constantly struggling with being good enough to be loved, and certain she’s one breath away from failure. So she’s in a …
In Others’ Word: Bold (Guest post with Reba J. Hoffman)
Meet my friend, Reba — truly one of the most unique individuals I’ve ever met! She embraces the challenge to “live life out loud.” We met at the inaugural My Book Therapy Storycrafters Retreat in 2009. Last Saturday, Reba embarked on an amazing cross-country journey. I’m so excited for you to hear why she made this bold choice. There …
In My Words: Turning Back from Turning My Back on God (Part 3)
I’ve found that when I hope to encourage others, God often prompts me to share my less-than shining moments. This is one of those times. On Monday & Wednesday, I shared the circumstances that caused my faith to founder — and the choices (mistakes) I made along my way to doubt. Welcome to Part 3 (the final installment) of a …