Here we are, weeks into what seems like an endless sea of hard and heavy conversations on racism. Honestly, I feel as though I have had ALL the conversations with ALL the people. I have felt emotionally spent and very hopeful at the same time. I have had dear friends near and far reach out to check on me. They have prayed for me, listened to me, ...
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (NLT) COVID-19 is still very real. Racism is rampant. We are grieving death -- unexpected and expected -- while still trying to manage life in a pandemic. WE ARE ...
My grandfather passed away last month. A few hours after receiving the news, the memory of a long-forgotten college paper crossed my mind. It was late. Both night and tears had fallen, but instead of going to bed I sat at my desk searching through documents. There. There! The glow of the computer screen lit up the room as I opened the ...
The other day our mower just stopped working. I went out to mow, and it just wouldn’t move. We knew this day was coming. We had been using the same mower for many, many years on a lawn that was too big for it. So we had already had conversations about a new mower. It seemed everyone loved the zero turn mowers — the ones that have two levers to ...
How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not ...
Amidst the shelter at home quarantine, I received a very interesting question via my Instagram. Even though it’s been months and we're all in different parts of the country with varying plans for re-opening, many will ponder different aspects of her vulnerable question. “Jen, I know you are passionate about creating community and biblical ...
This summer will be different. It already is, isn't it? Parks and pools and beaches are closed. We may be distancing from our most vulnerable friends and family members. Our kids finished school at home, and now many of their summer camps and programs are cancelled. The world is still in tender turmoil. We've never had a season like this before, ...
Over a decade ago I sat in front of my computer staring at a blank screen, trying to decide what to say. Finally, the words came to me, and I wrote, “Be courageous and write in a way that scares you a little.” I’d spent the last few months dreaming and planning with my (in)courage co-founder Stephanie Bryant and now the site was almost ready to ...
Six new baby kittens were born on our Iowa farm, down in the shed, next to an old TV set that hasn’t worked in years. I like to think of our newborn kittens as accidental therapists. I’m often in need of a mood adjustment, so I come out to the shed several times a day and creak open the door, certain that I’ll find my smile somewhere inside. ...
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:5 (NIV) When our children wake up in terror at night over a bad dream, when death comes to take our loved ones away, when depression overwhelms like a heavy blanket, we want to be held. We want to have someone rub our backs and hold our hands. It's a comfort to be ...
