Most of my babysitting years are behind me. I no longer rely on such skills as my primary source of income. In fact, this week I offered my childcare services for free. But it is good to know that the adventure still awaits… Last week I was asked to stay with a friend’s kids while…
What happens when God sticks his ‘but’ in your story?
Three is a magic number. School House Rock taught me that. Dr. John Frame taught me that. But more importantly, the Bible taught me that! It seems that important things often come in threes. Not as a ranking of 1, 2, and 3, but as a union of three different, yet equally important things. The…
I’ve decided slog is one of my new favorite words. It describes life better than most as it brings the imagery of sludge, drudgery, challenges, and weights. That’s life. That’s not all life is, but it certainly includes a large amount of slog. But acknowledging the slog helps me stay in the madness and not…
I went into this endeavor called home ownership thinking that I would have a restful haven that would occasionally give me grief, but predominantly would be welcoming, homey, and predictable. It could not have been further from the truth. Instead I have experienced homeowner hazing of the worst kind. I have replaced or repaired more…
I do a lot of research in life. I have a decade of graduate school under my belt and it comes naturally to me to research deeply whenever I have a problem to solve or an issue to investigate. I love data. But data also betrays me. I worried about many, many layers of the…
Laughter is letting go if even just for a moment and believing in better things. Laughter is a bubbly, effervescent form of hope. Laughter can be defiant of one’s current circumstances and a confidence that they can change. Laughter can demonstrate that no matter how dark the night is, that the dawn is coming, and joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). I laugh not because all is well right now, but because all will be well.
What is pictured on my Facebook wall? Or Instagram feed? Or blog? These locations often present the highlight reels of my life. The best and most fun moments. I love my hashtag: #DoctoralStudentPlayTime and I’ve used it liberally! In the midst of a very full season in life, I’ve sought to make room for play…
Those words are perhaps among the best to describe my life. It is full. Amazingly full. I have taken my well-honed Tetris skills and applied to them to all areas of life. My walls are decorated with a number of words, images, and items that hold incredible nostalgia in my heart. My family often just…
Avoidance. Taking a break. Filling my cup. Delaying the inevitable. All of life is a balancing act. I believe most people have more goals, tasks, or demands than they could possibly accomplish in a single day. Whether it is children who need attention, job or school tasks that demand completion, or relationships that require tenderness…
