Oh dear, here I was, worrying again! A phone call I had just received had made my mood spiral down. I was reacting in ways I did not like. My heart was racing, I was fearful and sad, all at once.
Read More
Seeking God and soaking in God’s word have been emphasized many times in the Bible. When we meditate on God’s word we carry them in our hearts and soak in their goodness and strength.
“Did you use your eyeballs?” I respond when my husband can’t find something and asks if I’ve seen it. He’s a good sport to go back, look more thoroughly and usually returns with the found object. We laugh that he can never see what is right under his nose.
Read More
It was a Friday morning, my day off- I enjoyed a quiet slow start and had a leisurely breakfast. As I prayed about how to spend my day, a verse I had read came to mind. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”-Matthew 7:12a NIV
Read More
Switching on the kettle to make my morning tea, I looked out through the window at the sky, dark with a beautiful full moon! I pull out my journal, Bible and pen- and sit on our red couch to meet with Jesus one on one!
Read More
I just returned home from a trip out west with my family. We traveled to South Dakota and Wyoming seeing spectacular views, enjoying the outdoors and hiking strenuous trails. I always find a sense of peace when I am out there with no cell or Internet service, respecting and relishing in God’s creation.
Read More
Last time we talked about burning ships and building bridges. We touched on my choice to not be in church leadership as a female. I want to tell you about a conversation that I had with an elder’s wife last week on the day that article came out.
Read More
I have always preferred opposites. Noise to complete silence. Smiles instead of tears. Light instead of the dark
Read More
I started this book review with Romans 12:2 because I believe that God allows us to choose what we intake and He also gives us discernment. I was asked to review “Everybody Fights, So why Not Get Better at It?” By Kim and Penn Holderness.
Read More
We often think of sanctuaries as sacred buildings adorned with stained glass, but sanctuaries are any place we can retreat for refuge and renewal. Any space that speaks to our souls and places us in a posture of reverence can be a sanctuary.
Read More
There is magic in a marsh sunset, when the water mirrors the sky above. I can watch the water, looking for ripples of movement to reveal the wildlife under the surface while admiring wispy clouds swirling overhead. And I can witness the water and sky as one, the water working to reflecting much bigger blue above.
Read More
I want to tell you about something I’ve noticed on the journey of building bridges and burning ships (part 1 here). Labels. They are so fun. When you meet a person you start to categorize them - the color of their skin, their age, their gender, their sexuality, or maybe what they do for a living. We don’t intentionally place people in a box - nonetheless we do. One of the things I’ve noticed in the modern-day church is an unintentional “burning ships”.
Read More
“Having children is like a walk in the park. Jurassic Park, to be precise.”
Before I had kids, this was a quote that I laughed at but didn’t really understand. Now, it’s something that I laugh at because it can feel so true. It doesn’t matter how many of your friends or family have kids before you and offer their advice and experiences to assist you on your own journey, there is truly nothing that can prepare you for what lies ahead. Much like the crew that John Hammond assembled in the first of this movie franchise - not a single one of them knew enough about dinosaurs despite all the books they’d read and bones they’d assessed to face them in real-time.
We had just moved from Chennai, India to Auckland, New Zealand. My husband started designing bridges here. Within a couple of weeks, the boys, 18 and 14, were busy with studies, and Ranjan worked long hours at the office. I realized I could not work as an architect in New Zealand with my Indian qualification. I took that and everything else to the Lord in prayer.
Read More
I lean my head back, spread out my arms and legs and allow the water to softly suspend me on the surface. I’m not swimming, forcing forward motion, or treading water, barely keeping my head above water. I’m floating: free to rest, be still and simply be. I welcome the weightlessness and wonder why I don’t float more often. Floating, in the water and out in the world, both takes faith and renews my faith. And I’m beginning to believe faith is a float.
Read More
Mission statements may feel corporate and you might wonder what role they have in a Christian’s life, but here’s the thing: if you do not have a clear destination and purpose for your time here on earth, life will just pass you by. Today, let’s talk about what a mission statement is and why you need one.
Read More
2020 was quite the year for all of us. The word “unprecedented” seemed to describe the entire twelve months in a nutshell. For some, it meant doing church on Facebook Live, for others it included getting married on Zoom. Some folks suffered great loss being laid off from their jobs, or endured the death of a loved one from Covid-19, or both. When we rang in 2021, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that 2020 was over and that everything would change as soon as the clock struck midnight.
Read More
I remember how cold it was that day: lower thirties, typical Chicago weather. Although it was November, snow had not yet kissed our city streets. “All you need to do is be cool. Just walk into that restaurant, smile and ask for an application. That’s it. Just ten minutes of bravery. The worst they’re going to say is no, and if they do, you can try Olive Garden next.”
Read More
True confession - I am 100% a Type 2 on the Enneagram. For those who don’t know, that means I’m a helper. At the age of 29, I’m running a non-profit, I’ve helped start a different one, and lead several ministries. Right now, I’m finally learning the gift of boundaries. God had to take me on a harrowing journey for a season to learn that importance, however!
Read More
One of the things that I’ve done the most consistently during the past year is to go on walks. With gyms closed in the beginning of the pandemic, I first started walking around my neighborhood and have since moved on to walking in the beautiful greenways in my city.
Read More