2020

This month I completed a writing/editing project I have been working on about how to triumph when you are going through life's inevitable trials. Apparently saying "yes" to this project was akin to praying for patience: I was given plenty of opportunities to "practice". (If you've never prayed for patience before, do so carefully!) During this period of writing about how to triumph over trials, my ex-husband died. My mom got E.Coli ... twice. My husband took a staple-gun to the face. My step-daughter was in a car accident. My niece broke her wrist (on my watch, no less). My brother-in-law had a heart attack, followed by a stroke. My aunt injured her back. Another family member went into temporary foster care. Both our dogs have been sick. I ended up in the clinic after an encounter with a rusty nail. And those are just the trials in my immediate family that I know about! Sheesh! Would someone please pray that my next project is on prosperity?! Chan...

This month I had the opportunity to share a Sunday morning message with Dover Friends Church in Wilmington, Ohio. Actually they had invited me to share in January, but lucky for all of us we were snowed in that weekend and church was cancelled. I say *lucky* not because we got to stay home but because my message wasn't ready yet. It needed to--as my chef husband would say--simmer and season a bit more before it was truly ready to be consumed. The topic of my message was "rejection". Randy and I were blindsided by rejection during the last week of December, so it was very fresh on my heart in January. Too fresh. Too painful. If church hadn't been cancelled that Sunday I would have spoken specifically about the hurts we had experienced. The lies. The betrayals. And I would have shared this advice from Jesus: "Whatever village or town you enter, search for a godly man who will let you into his home until you leave for the next town. Once you enter a house, ...

Today would have been my grandmother's 84th birthday. She's been gone now just 2 days shy of a month and it's still hard for me to believe she isn't here. My grandfather died unexpectedly in 1996. A few months before his death, he told me that if anything ever happened to him that my grandmother would move to Ohio and we would have to take care of her. So when he died later that same year, I fully expected my grandmother to move in with us. She was 62 at the time and, to my 16-year-old self, was old and needed us to take care of her. My 65-year-old grandfather had just passed away, confirming that grandma, too, didn't have long to live. So when my grandma didn't move in with us, instead traveling the world, running off to Mexico and Spain and casinos and forming "Bible studies" (can you still call it a Bible study when there are margaritas involved?) I was confused. And mad. And guilty because is there anything worse than being mad at your gr...

Anyone who truly knows me knows how important this little girl is in my life. This summer we'll have spent 12 years together. My dad found her, locked in his barn, when she was only 6 weeks old. She was an ornery puppy, hard to potty train and chewing on anything she could get her little puppy teeth into. But she showed up at just the right time... the week of my first divorce. I put up a good front on the outside, but most days this little girl was the only reason I got out of bed. She kept me moving and going. Since then we've been on countless adventures together. Moving from Ohio to Indiana, then back to Ohio, next to California, and then down to Mexico. And we're about to embark on another epic road trip across the U.S. once again. What does Jovi have to do with my 40-40-40 challenge? Today's donation goes to Paws Assisting Veterans ( PAVE USA ), which trains service dogs for veterans who suffer from mental or physical disabilities as a result...

I'm reading a book called " Fierce Convictions ." It's the story of Hannah More (1745-1833), a poet and abolitionist during the 18th and 19th centuries who worked with William Wilberforce , among other reformers of the time. Hannah was a devout member of the Church of England, yet many of her fiercest convictions (to abolish slavery or at least improve conditions for slaves, and to educate women and the poor, for example) went against their teachings. While many people whose views were in line with Hannah's were dissenting from the Church of England (including the Quakers), Hannah held firm. She insisted she could be both a member of the Church of England and a reformer. She repeatedly received criticism and public defamation of her character, causing her deep distress, both physically and emotionally. I thought of Hannah when an online friend of mine told me about The Reformation Project . The Mission of The Reformation Project is: The Reformation Proje...

This summer 11 kids have left Sonshine Hacienda. Three new kids joined us. And another one came and left again within a matter of 24 hours. It has been emotionally exhausting. Randy was particularly close to 3-year-old Pamela who left. And I to 12-year-old Brayan. Pamela started and ended each day running into Randy’s arms, batting her eyes for an extra helping of food, throwing her head back when she laughed. She left a huge hole in our family. Brayan and I would talk about whatever was on his mind each evening as we cleaned the dining room. Sometimes that was him wondering what high school would be like in a few years, or whether or not his brother and aunt would come to visit him this weekend, or if he could be involved in sports or other activities outside the casa. He would tell me about the other children’s homes where he had lived, ones that also had American missionaries, ones that allowed video games (we do not), ones that also had trampolines like ours. ...

Before we officially set out on the road on Tuesday, some friends asked if they could pray for us. Five of us circled up and the couple led us in prayer. They prayed for our ministry, that God would encourage us and that we would be an encouragement to the children. And they prayed for our safety in travel. Little did they know that we would see God answer that prayer in just a few short hours. Randy and I are driving separately down to the border of California and Mexico. He is driving a U-Haul full of donations, and pulling our trailer full of belongings. I'm driving our Hummer, which we bought after selling both of our vehicles, since we needed something that can stand up to the roads in Mexico. We set out on the road, me following close behind him, and stopped along the way to have an early dinner with my in-laws, after which I told Rand to go on ahead with the U-Haul. I was going to fill up with gas, and surely I would catch up. I was delayed at the gas station beca...

Does anyone else get overly dramatic when the stress starts to get to you? Or is it just me? I just took on a new client for work. Randy is in the midst of wedding season. Jovi is still recovering from surgery. Grandma got her biopsy results. The perfect vehicle to meet our needs in Mexico is over our budget. It's becoming really real that we are giving up so much to follow this call, particularly the ability to see our families whenever we want. My closest friends are ghosting me. We put out a call for financial support for our mission work and not one person responded. It was starting to feel like everything was against us. So when Randy and I were having a hard financial conversation last weekend I completely went off the deep end. I had us living in our car for the next two months, eating nothing but peanut butter sandwiches. And I'm not talking Jiff extra crunchy on whole grain. I'm talking closeout at the bread outlet and Great Value economy size because every penn...

During the same week that I receive Angie's devotion on looking  intentionally  for God's footprints in our lives, I was reading The Hiding Place , the story of Corrie Ten Boom.  Corrie lived with her father and sister in Holland in the 1930s. She was 50-years old and working in her father's watch shop when Germany came in looking to "exterminate" anyone they deemed unworthy, from Jews to the mentally ill. Corrie became one of the queen ringleaders in the fight against the Holocaust, finding hiding places for anyone in need and taking in the "least desirable" into her own home. Eventually she was caught and sent to a concentration camp as punishment.  Corrie and her sister Betsie were in the camp together. Their parents had raised them in a Christian home, which included nightly Bible readings and belief in the power of prayer. While Corrie was like "the rest of us," not shy to hide her complaints when the smell of the latrines was ...

Today we celebrate the birthday of 4 of my nieces. Happy 7th to Tessa, Kaylee, Tysen, and Kenzi! Where did the time go??? As we celebrate these 4 little miracles, I can't help but think of the 27 miracles that Randy and I were lucky enough to spend time with last week at the orphanage in San Felipe, Mexico. To cook for and love on, to play with and pray with. Lupita, Mia, Jesus, Brian, Lorenzo, Amber, Alexa, Carime, Juliet, Christian, Isaac, Natalie, Rene... they too are miracles. Little miracles who love to chase each other around the playground, sing and dance, cook in their play kitchen and color, just like my nieces. Only without the security of a mother and father. These kids are lucky to have been placed in this particular orphanage , the best in San Felipe, perhaps in all of Mexico. It is a place full of love and care, comfort and cleanliness, nutrition and nurture. But is that enough? One of the regular volunteers, Julie (who invited us on this trip...

Of all the gifts I gave my nephew for Christmas, these Buzz Lightyear pajamas were definitely his favorite. Above legos and Skylanders and far above the nice shirts I got him. No sooner had he tore into the wrapping than he disappeared down the hall and re-emerged as a superhero. The girls were equally excited about their nightgowns. And I think they were trying to get cousin Riley excited too in the picture above. My family never had the tradition of getting new Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve like it seems so many do. But this year, seeing the kids' excitement inspired me to go home and put on my own Christmas jammies and spend most of Christmas day in them. And I really couldn't imagine a more perfect day. Curled up in flannel, with coffee and movies and leftovers, surrounded by the people (and dog) I love. I think I might have just adopted a new Christmas tradition! EMBRACE PAJAMAS . Are pjs one of your Christmas traditions?

Tessa : "Do you know whose name starts with d?" Me : "Daddy." Tessa , bursting into tears at the mere mention of his name: "Is Daddy ever coming home?" This was Monday night, and Tim had just tucked her into bed the night before. Me : "He'll be home Thursday." Tessa : "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. But that's a long time!" Me : "Do you need Daddy's pillow to sleep with?" Tessa : Head nodding, still talking even though I'm leaving the room to get Daddy's pillow, "Will Daddy be here for family dinner night?" Me : Returning with the pillow, "Of course. Daddy wouldn't miss family dinner night." Fast forward until Tuesday night. Tim calls to talk to the kids before they go to bed. I let Tessa answer the phone and her lip starts to quiver as soon as she hears his voice. Fighting back tears she says to Daddy: "Aunt Katie gave me your pillow and Mommy gave me your wo...

It makes me a little sad that our "30 Days of Thankfulness" (aka November) is over. So I've decided to do something similar leading up to Christmas. It's called " These are a Few of My Favorite Things... " and I'll come up with at least one thing each day through Christmas. Today my favorite things are: My living room. It took me all year to get around to painting it, but now that the walls are done I feel like I just want to settle there, in my home, with my coffee and kindle and Jovi.  The view out my bedroom window. In Indiana my bedroom window faced my neighbor's bedroom window and there was only about 15 feet between us. I'd say snowy trees and no neighbors in sight is a much better view to wake up to!  Waterproof boots. The snow is way too beautiful not to walk in each and every day. But it is so much more beautiful when you can come in with dry socks! Thank you Lowa for making my winter more enjoyable!  EMBRACE FAVORITE THIN...

Nearly every day I spend with my nieces and nephew someone ends up with a band-aid. And every time I've taken them shopping we end up with multiple boxes in our cart. (If you need Christmas ideas, it's the perfect stocking stuffer!) Band-aids cover minor hurts. With this crew it is usually a hangnail. Or a playground scrape. And often times a "dot" invisible to the adult eye but definitely there in the eyes of a 4-year-old and definitely in need of a band-aid. And as this photo of Kaylee professes, a simple band-aid makes everything better. Thumbs and smiles and the ability to go back to the horseplay that likely caused the infraction to begin with. The Bible  says "love covers a multitude of sins". As simply as a band-aid can cover our hurts and wipe our tears away , so can the choice to love above all else. Kids can be overly dramatic about their need for a band-aid and the severity of the injury that requires such. But we adults can be equally dra...

I know most people hate first dates. But I absolutely love them! Fretting over the perfect outfit. Anxiety about where to go and what to do. Hoping you won't say anything stupid or trip over a crack in the sidewalk or get food stuck in your teeth. Flowers. Opening doors. Holding hands. Exchanging smiles. Pretending to like each other's music. And sense of humor. And shoes. At least for the first hour. Until you realize you have to be honest or else you might be stuck with those shoes and jokes and bands for the rest of your life. And the night only gets better once you are honest. Or worse. But either way it's an adventure. Memories in the making. Every date should be like this, no matter how long you've been together. Nerve wracking and exciting. Eager to learn about your partner and to share your heart. Seeking common ground and growth opportunities. Learning to be flexible and to set boundaries. Appreciating one another with smiles and car doors and time. A...

Last year I didn't put up a single decoration for Christmas. This year I thought I might continue the trend. It's just me, after all. I would have to fill my own stocking and eat all the cookies in the jar. (Have you ever seen one lonely stocking hanging above the fireplace?) I would know what was inside every gift under the tree, no surprises. (Where is the magic in that?) There's really no point, is there? And then the snow started to fall. In big, wet flakes. I put on my snow pants and caught flakes on my tongue and made angels with my limbs. And when I was cold and wet I came in, put a little Baileys in my coffee, pushed play on my favorite Christmas album , and lit a maple butter scented candle. Maybe just the nativity , I thought. And as I was unpacking Joseph, Mary holding the baby Jesus, and the little shepherd, I remembered that this is what Christmas is all about. This visual reminder that what is important is not how many stockings are hung by ...

I delivered a really great gratitude sermon on Sunday. It was full of energy and enthusiasm, challenge and grace, laughter and a few tears. It included the kids as well as the adults, Scripture and loads of personal stories. And yet... Confession time... I, personally, don't believe women should be pastors. Let me say first of all that this is not the fault of the church or the way I was raised. I have never sat through a sermon (nor would I deliver one) that said as a woman I should sit there and be quiet (which isn't what I am proposing, by the way). My dad never told me this, nor did my grandfather. We even had a female pastor when I was a kid and everyone loved her, including (maybe especially) me. It is simply a personal conviction I have, based on my own reading of Scripture and time with the Lord in prayer and waiting. I believe men are to be the spiritual head of our churches and households, to guide and protect and nurture the flock. (And find it eternally fr...

Be it flying solo for frozen pizza and DVDs after a long week, dinner out and movies in with friends, or date night at your favorite restaurant and theater... EMBRACE DINNER AND A MOVIE. It may be cliché, but that doesn't mean it isn't the perfect way to spend a Friday night.

On the way back from the funeral home yesterday the kids were all trying to make sense of heaven. In particular they were trying to figure out how it was possible for their great-grandpa to "see" us wherever we are. "I don't believe that," my nephew said finally. "Believe what?" I asked. "That he can see us." "What do you believe?" I encouraged. "I think he is just dead," he said. One of his sisters then asked again how their great-grandpa could see us no matter where we are: school, home, grandma and grandpa's house... "It's like Santa," my nephew explained to his sisters. They all got quiet. And I realized he understood the concept, even if he wasn't sure he bought it. Which I think is perfectly healthy. Even good. Really good actually. We don't have to believe everything everyone tells us. And we probably shouldn't. It is okay to doubt. We can go through the process of fig...

My nephew and nieces' great-grandfather passed away on Saturday. This is the second great-grandfather who has passed in their lifetime, but the first that they are old enough to be aware of. The kids know that Buck was in the hospital, that he was sick and didn't get better, that his heart stopped working, and that he didn't wake up. Beyond that my brother and sister-in-law have given the kids space to ask questions and process in their own way, which I think is perfect. I've spent a lot of time with the kids in the past two weeks, to help out while the family spent Buck's last days together and have made arrangements for the funeral, so I've been able to witness some of this processing. Tessa: "Buck isn't going to wake up... not even on Christmas?" Kaylee: "Where does Aunt Jenn live?" (Me: "Texas.") "Buck is in Texas. At the doctor." (Presumably she thinks of him as "far away" and you can't get ...