a settled place

Our journey south was an adventure and challenge for us all... weaving our way through various methods of transportation, new social interactions, and several cities. And yet wherever we found ourselves... in minivans, trains, buses, shuttles, escalators, airplanes, and "big big gray vans", we felt God going before us and that was so very humbling. Thank you so much to any and all of you who were praying. We found ourselves without a vehicle to take to Chicago on January 4 when our auto mechanic informed us that our van's tires were not fit to make the drive. We headed north nonetheless in a borrowed van, thanks to Jim & Marlene, placed it securely in O'Hare's Lot G, and flew to Atlanta that evening. It was a short night, and the kids shared a double bed which was an all-around new experience, and overall not a very peaceful night, but we sort of slept. The next morning we flew to Guadalajara and arrived in Ixtlan in time for church. Once there, we found o...

In a week filled with protests, legal actions, and words about being feminine, I realize that I'm very blessed... I do feel loved, protected, represented, and fulfilled as a woman, wife, and mother, because of God and the amazing husband that I have. I  am privileged. I'm still learning what to do with that information, but I  am. Anyway, in light of all that, it struck me as I stood at the stove this evening how particularly fulfilled I feel when a finished meal is on the table. I'm sure there's many of you out there who can relate. I actually love being in the kitchen, and food is a favorite thing of ours. :) Its an accomplished feeling to take raw ingredients and turn them into something yummy. My place is at home right now and I wouldn't have it any other way. Last night we had leftovers (so glamorous, I know) and I made myself a cobb salad - kind of a McAllister's copycat recipe... I really enjoyed it so I'm going to throw it up here, but keep in m...

" And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem."  (Luke 13:22) Around the turn of the new year, this verse came up in my Bible reading and I've been pondering a lot on the last phrase - "journeying toward Jerusalem". Jerusalem is a place of redemption ... where the old becomes new again. It is a place where the past is forgiven, where we are reconciled to one another and to Christ, and where we find love . As I scroll through social media these days, the obvious need for redemption of the human race is so very overwhelming. As Christians, we are sent forth in the midst of this, and called to be  wise as serpents and harmless as doves.   (Matthew 10). The responsibility weighs so heavily on me today, as I think about my own journey to Jerusalem, and how I, too, am one of them - those who are protesting, those who are angry, those who nailed Christ to the cross... I, too, am one of them. I, too, have been sometimes a...

As I was packing our bags last week, I grabbed this little bucket of sidewalk chalk on a whim. You can see... it only cost a $1, last summer sometime in the Target dollar bins I think. That bucket is now nearly empty, and this picture is the best I can do to tell the story of how God has gone before us and orchestrated this week, a time to come alongside our brothers and sisters here in Ixtlan... to remind them that they are loved, and that there is a God who cares deeply about each of them and their individual stories, hurts, challenges, and joys. I've come this week feeling very weak, very unworthy, and very incapable of being a source of encouragement to anyone. It's been so humbling to watch how God did not need me to be strong, or worthy, or capable - rather, He just needed me to be available and He has done all the work. When I threw that bucket of colorful chalk into the bag, I had no idea that He would use it to help my children build cross-cultural, cross-language ...