Yesterday was the first day of the 2022-2023 school year! It was a big first for our family because it was the first time that everyone was attending the same school at the start of a new school year. It felt big to be able to go together to a place we love and a …
Last summer was filled with house showings, packing boxes, and delivering donations and we never got to settle into the slower mornings and lingering light of summer. This summer, we were in a new city and a new house for the first time in eight years and it took us a while to find our …
Just this week our six-year-old passed his swim test so that he could slide down the waterslide at the pool. They even gave him a band to show he had passed! It was an exciting afternoon. Even though he has just started school, he is used to having to take tests and he knows it …
Over the past two weeks, we have attended graduations, celebrations, and end-of-the-year school events. There are some Springs that are filled with the gentle breeze of changing seasons. There are other Springs that are explosions of new life and transformation. For us, this Spring has been the latter. Big events and big changes for more …
I forgot how busy the end of the year was, especially with different school schedules for four different kids. Even as we try to remember where we are supposed to be on which day, I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude that we are HERE in this place. This year we have a kindergarten graduation and …
For the first time in a very long time, I was able to attend an Easter morning sunrise service. We were at the beach and there was a service within walking distance. As we walked onto the beach with our six-year-old, I felt immediately at peace. The sun was rising over the ocean, people were …
I’ve tampered my passions. Stuffing down the fire within me that calls for all people fed, all people housed, all people safe, all people educated. That same fire that calls out systemic oppression and injustice. I’ve tried to put a lid on the sparks that drive me to want to make things better and more …
I’ve tempered my words. Carefully choosing and precisely picking words that aren’t too challenging or courageous for a woman. I’ve bitten my tongue, holding back the very words I knew needed to be spoken in order to not be called outspoken. I smiled and nodded even when I knew the person who was speaking was …
When light breaks through and the sky lights up, the possibilities begin. When light breaks through, there is an invitation to begin anew. When light breaks through, sorrow and despair fade into hope. When light breaks through, the shadows of uncertainty flee making way for resurrection.
After my second year of teaching, I went to Germany for one school year to teach. As a young American in a small town, I found myself most often on the same schedule of retirees. We would eat our kuchen and kaffee at the same time in the afternoon and then go see a lecture …
