2020

October was a busy month, filled with new adventures! I took on two part-time jobs, starting on the same day! One of those positions came with the title, “Wilmington Yearly Meeting Coordinator”. Coordinator does describe some of what I do – coordinating meetings for the Quakers in Ohio and Tennessee. But “informer” and “encourager” feel like more important roles as I get started. Like most U.S. denominations, the Quakers have experienced a series of splits in the church over our position on gay marriage. Some Friends (as Quakers are affectionately called) believe we must declare a position one way or another. Other Friends believe that each congregation should be able to decide for themselves whether or not to perform a marriage in their church. Regardless of the denomination, regardless of whether they side “for” or “against”, churches have been filled with pain and loss and distrust. And we’ve realized we don’t really know one another. Which is where I come in!  My ...

Lent -- the 40+ days leading up to Easter -- is a big deal to me. God always nudges me toward something that will draw me closer to Him and His will for my life. One year I read through the entire Bible in 40 days. Another year I walked across Spain, meeting and marrying my husband. Last year I donated $40 a day to 40 different organizations. And this year I felt God leading me to prayer. Because the theme is 40, I felt challenged to pray for 40 minutes a day for all 40 days. Confession: in every Lenten season I have fallen short of my goal. I did read the entire Bible, but it took me slightly longer than 40 days. I did walk across Spain, but again, it took more than the alloted 6 1/2 weeks. I did donate to 40 organizations, but I got derailed last year when my grandmother died, so those donations ended up being spread out over the course of several months. And this year? No exception. I started off strong. And so did God. I kept a notebook handy because he was so chatty. But the...

Arizona wasn't the only state on this trip that contained wonderful memories for me. So did Utah. Randy and I have both spent time in Utah before. We have both fallen in love with Zion and Bryce National Parks before. And so this part of the trip was a fun time of remembering for both of us. Randy remembered driving his young daughter through Zion as the sun came up. And eating the best fried chicken on the planet outside of Bryce. I remembered taking the Riverwalk in Zion and watching a family disappear into the Narrows. Then traipsing through the sandy trails of Bryce, preparing my heart for a move from California to Arkansas to live with my grandmother to pursue my dream of becoming a writer. Zion National Park is incredibly close to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, so getting there was our first plan of action. Upon arrival we discovered that all of the nearby campgrounds were full. We talked to one of the owners who directed us to a neighboring town with BLM (Bur...

Randy and I (with the help of our granddaughter who is in town visiting and has been a godsend!) have been busy savoring each moment with the kids in our last week at Sonshine. We took the girls out to dinner Wednesday (which is a memory we will NEVER forget!) and we're taking the boys out shopping today. Followed by Randy's famous caramel popcorn and a movie ( The Star ). We've given lots of hugs and so far held back most of the tears. All of this focus on the kids this past week has made me want to seek out other organizations who are loving on all of God's children, to help support them to continue their work. These are two that I believe in. 40-40-40 ... Day 35: Right to Play I learned about Right to Play when it was advertised during the Winter Olympics this year. The mission behind Right to Play is: We use the power of play to educate and empower children to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities. The website g...

Peter Benchley is the inspiration for today's donation. Who was Peter Benchley? Everyone knows him, even if they don't know his name. Peter Benchley was a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson. Peter Benchley was the first host of Shark Week. Peter Benchley wrote "Jaws". And Peter Benchley later became an advocate for environmental preservation, regretting the fact that he was famous for making one of God's creatures a villain rather than a victim. I just finished reading another of Peter Benchley's novels, " The Girl of the Sea of Cortez ." It's about a girl, Paloma, who lives in Baja, and whose father taught her to love the sea. After her father dies, Paloma struggles to fit in with her family, her community, society as a whole. While her mother would rather she help with housework, Paloma would rather go diving. While her brother sees fish as a means to a profit, Paloma sees them as an essential part of God's creation. Benchl...

Time for another guest blog! Guest blogs have definitely been one of my favorite parts of this 40-40-40 journey. Being able to hear first hand from people who are on the ground, doing the heavy lifting, actively involved in ministry has opened my heart to all that God is doing in and through people. Today's blog is extra special because it has to do with orphans in Mexico. And not just any orphans. Newborn baby orphans. Here at Sonshine Hacienda we have an 8-month-old, Natalia, who has been with us since she was 5 hours old. She is an incredible blessing, but it hasn't been easy caring for a newborn when you have 20 other kids of various ages and needs to care for also. Not to mention babies are expensive! Diapers, formula, (most of her clothes have been donated thankfully), doctors visits, and a full-time staff person to care for her. Amber and Travis Owen (fun fact: Randy catered their wedding!) know this need all too well. This is their story. SOW MINISTRIES W...

Last week, my college friend Christina put out an appeal on her Facebook page. It included the above photo. She was asking her friends to purchase the items in the squares to provide for her community. Christina wrote: End 68 Hours of Hunger Lake Co. is currently providing food to 350 students in Lake Co., and as always, they need our help to provide food donations!! This food drive gives you a great opportunity to do something small on your end, yet it makes a huge impact in the life of a child who goes hungry over the weekend (hence the 68 hours, give or take, between lunch on Friday and school breakfast on Monday) when food might not be available in their home. My heart immediately stirred. Perhaps it is because I am in "giving mode" this month. Or the fact that I know my kids are luckier than many of their friends at school because my kids are guaranteed 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, 7 days a week. But the idea of a child having nothing to eat for a weekend is heartb...

I'm giving $40 to 40 different ministries for the 40 days of Lent. Today is only day 5 and I'm already worn out! There is so much need in the world... and so many individuals and organizations doing so much good... it's exhausting! But Galatians 6:9 says: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Another version says, "at just the right time we will reap a harvest." And yet another says, "you will be rewarded when the time is right." I don't know what God is thinking with this 40-40-40 adventure he has me on, but I do know that he is the mastermind behind it, therefore only good can come out of it. As long as I don't give up! As I fight against weariness, and consider that today is President's Day, I naturally think about how exhausting it must be to work in Washington. To constantly be under a microscope. To have the weight of the entire nation on your shoulders....

One of the pieces of this 40-40-40 days of Lent campaign that God is undergoing in my heart that I am so fiercely passionate about, is that as I was seeking out organizations to support, I felt a nudge to speak to people who are directly involved with these ministries. So, intermittently throughout the next several weeks I will be featuring "guest bloggers" to share their stories. Our first guest blog comes from Rachel Mills, founder and director of " PEARLS in Haiti ". I didn't know Rachel before this Lent, though I did go to elementary/high school with her younger brother, so we are from neighboring home towns in Ohio. I trust that you will fall in love with her story just like I did when she first shared it with me... PEARLS in Haiti Back in 1996 God summoned me to Haiti. At that time I knew little to nothing about the island nation, but I was compelled to step out in faith. Over the course of four months I raised two year’s salary through donatio...

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday. She has given me 4 unique nieces and 1 charming nephew. I asked her to share with me a cause or organization she believes in, so that I could support it in honor of her birthday. Because when something is important to the people you love, it naturally becomes important to you too. To prove my point, Kari's response was, " Autism Speaks ." Why is Autism Awareness important to her, and why does this prove my point? Because her youngest niece has Autism. This is Marlee, her mom Kelly (Kari's sister), and her two big sisters. Kelly is an elementary school counselor, whose experience with kids on the Autism Spectrum helped her recognize some of the same signs in Marlee, namely that she was behind on a lot of milestones by her second birthday, refused to make eye contact, and wouldn't respond when you called her name. After having her hearing tested, which checked out fine, Marlee then went in for an "Autism screen...