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Letting Go of Expectations and Letting in the Light

Letting Go of Expectations and Letting in the Light

in (In)Courage· Advent· Change· Faith in Action· Girl Meets Change· Seasons

After reading Myquillyn Smith’s philosophy about how lamp light can “sprinkle some cozy” and improve the mood of a room, especially in the…
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Change in the Time of Corona

Change in the Time of Corona

in Change· Faith in Action· Family· Girl Meets Change· Gratitude Attitude

Today, I turned the calendar page in our kitchen from March to April with all the grandeur and flourish of…
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The Mountain in Our Way

The Mountain in Our Way

in Authors Extraordinaire· Books· Courage· Faith in Action

I first met Kristen Welch in 2011 when we roomed together at a retreat in South Carolina. (I still find…
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Boundaries: The Friend of Every Parent

Boundaries: The Friend of Every Parent

in Back Roads to Belonging· Belonging· Faith in Action· Family· Grace· Home· Parenting· Teens

During my son’s senior year of high school, he and a few of his friends had a rather telling conversation…
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Instead of Panicking, Try This

Instead of Panicking, Try This

in Back Roads to Belonging· Encouragement· Faith in Action· Seasons· Writing

It’s our sons’ last couple days of Christmas vacation, and we are spending them in the mountain towns of Keystone…
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On Weighing the Risks and Plans that Fail

On Weighing the Risks and Plans that Fail

in (In)Courage· Confidence· Courage· Faith in Action· Family· Listening· Seasons

If you see a small creature scampering in the woods or along a path during winter, you can bet the…
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On Instagram

This week brought to you by family heart-to-hearts This week brought to you by family heart-to-hearts around the fireplace, tulips on the table, and my first trip of the year to the garden store. ⁠⁠
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Never underestimate the ministry of flowers for you and your family. ⁠⁠
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"Home is never simply a threshold you cross. It is a place you make and a place that might make—or unmake—you. In this halfway space, we would begin to learn the costs of stepping into the role God first gave in a garden: to be, like Adam and Eve, the makers and caretakers of a particular place." ⁠⁠
~Christie Purifoy (@christiepurifoy), in her stellar book Placemaker ⁠⁠
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#backroadstobelonging
Holler if you're a fellow expert at coming up with Holler if you're a fellow expert at coming up with worst-case scenarios and making plans to divert them. ⁠⁠ 📣
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In this particular case, I thought I had foreseen every possible problem. I took measures to ensure the best possible outcome. I’m not talking about anything outlandish or expensive. Rather, I used good ol’ hard work and productivity to take care of things responsibly.⁠⁠
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And then came the turn of events only God saw coming, and all my forethought and “responsible planning” didn’t amount to a hill of beans. I didn't asked for or want this outcome, but it was what I had.⁠⁠
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Yeah, it's easier for me to daily assess the risk of doing something than to lean into trust.⁠⁠
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I write more about this at my second online writing home, @incourage. Visit the link in my profile to read more. 💛
I belong where it will snow in April (and May!), b I belong where it will snow in April (and May!), but where spring always comes, eventually. ⁠⁠
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Where do you belong today?⁠⁠
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#whereIbelongWednesday
Remember my post from a few weeks ago about our fr Remember my post from a few weeks ago about our friend Ryan, a USAF vet, who lost all all feeling and control from mid chest down due to a sudden spinal stroke?⁠⁠
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This is his wife, Rebecca, and she is one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world.⁠⁠
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Sometimes when a change comes that turns our world upside down, God works through others to turn it right side up again.⁠⁠
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This gal has surely been a turn-the-world-right-side-up gal in my life, and now I'd love it if *we* could help do the same for her.⁠⁠
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As Ryan undergoes physical therapy and rehab in the spinal cord unit of the VA hospital in Denver, we would like to help Ryan and Rebecca defray the many costs not covered by insurance following this spinal stroke, such as:⁠⁠
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▫️Outfitting Ryan and Rebecca’s home for needs regarding Ryan’s limited mobility.⁠⁠
▫️An outfitted vehicle that’s wheelchair accessible.⁠⁠
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These needs and several more are on Ryan and Rebecca's own dime, and they cost a shockingly WHOLE LOTTA DIMES. ⁠⁠
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If you're interested in helping with these needs and/or sharing about it with your people, please check out the link to our fundraiser in my profile.⁠⁠☑️
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Swipe to see a pic of Ryan and Rebecca and a pic of the GoFundMe page.⁠⁠
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And on behalf of Ryan and Rebecca, thank you for your continued prayers!⁠⁠❤️
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