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Loads of Laundry
I’ve been in a committed relationship with my to-do list since 2003. But when items don’t receive the strike of death quickly enough, I can find myself in a snit. Here’s the thing: the truth of the second statement doesn’t negate the truth of the first. Laundry can feel never-ending, full stop. However, how we talk to ourselves matters: it shapes the curvature of our hearts, one gripe at a time or one grateful thought at a time. Behind all our household chores are blessings we have been called to steward. Completing chores is only half the battle. The other half is choosing our perspective wisely.
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The Thieves in Our Hands
Screens are thieves we willingly invite into our lives. Recently, I’ve been sitting back and quietly spying the phone habits of others, and I’m struck by how much is being pilfered from us, one pick-up at a time: silence, rest, eye contact, creativity, reading stamina, quality time, attention span. I’m currently hyper-aware of my own habits and how little I’d actually like to be on my phone. However, relapse is a persistent guest, continually knocking at the door. Though undeniably convenient, my heart yearns for a time before we carried computers around in our palms. The temptation is too great to look up the answer to every question and swipe…
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Wilderness Seasons
The wilderness. It’s never enjoyable. But as someone who has just wandered around in one, I understand its importance. If you find yourself in a wilderness today, I want to offer you some encouragement and perspective. Most of us are familiar with the story of Moses. In short, God raised up an unqualified man to lead his people out of a life of slavery. However, due to disbelief and complaining, it took them forty years for a trip that should have taken less than two weeks. Early in the story when God is commissioning Moses through the burning bush, Moses asks God by what name should he refer to him…
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Mischief Managed
This week I found myself wondering how many hours I will spend over my lifetime cleaning, decluttering, and reorganizing different areas in my home. How many minutes of this precious gift of a life will be shrouded in stress and anxiety because my domestic surroundings have a hand-holding relationship with my mental health. Our family, much like many others, routinely complete the cycle of purchase, place, purge. My husband and I are constantly trying to figure out how to tetris our closets or cabinets and come up with storage solutions to house all of our belongings. Belongings that once seemed like a blessing now the sepulcher for the illness called…
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Repurpose and Rebuild
My prayer journal from this past April is littered with petitions to God to make a way for me to stay home again. I didn’t feel as though my remaining school sand had slipped through the waist of the hourglass, but I could feel a pull in my heart, a whisper that was telling me it might be time again. I just needed his confirmation, his timetable, and his provision to make it possible. Writing a tuition check for two kids felt like a shoddy bridge suspended over a mile high cavern we would be forced to cross. I’ve always known that teaching is not my final destination. That I…