It began over a decade ago. My husband and I had the privilege of meeting a wonderful couple in leadership while we served in marriage ministry – Clint and Amarillys. As leaders in ministry, there are countless roles and responsibilities to juggle while balancing with family life. However, what made them unique was how they
The first time my parents dropped me off at college, it was just the three of us in the van. As the oldest of 4 children, it was a sweet and rare opportunity to have both parents to myself. In those final hours before they left me at the dorm, they were handing out last-minute
There was that one class in college that I dreaded to take. It was rumored to be a tough one that required a ton of memorization. I held off registering for that class as long as I could. Then, it came to the point of no return. Given it was required for my major, I
I woke up at 2:30 a.m. the other night. There were no loud sounds to startle me, no random alarm that went off. No cold shaft to bother me- the comforter was tucked in place My eyes adjusted to the dark. It was quiet. But I was wide awake. That’s strange, I thought. Maybe the
My kids had fall break last week, and we had the chance to get out in nature for a few days. We spent an afternoon hiking in a national park. It was great weather to be outside- slightly overcast with a cool breeze. We had another family with us and our kids enjoyed exploring the
“I regret to inform you…” The words I never wanted to see on the e-mail I had been anxiously waiting on. “Fail” A feeling of rejection washed over me as the monosyllabic word glared at me from the screen after I clicked “submit”. “I’m sorry…you didn’t make the team.” My daughter, crushed, from hearing those
Eight dollars. That’s all my father had in his pocket when he came to America. After months of writing hand-written letters to each other, he met his beautiful bride at the airport when she arrived. A few weeks later, they were married in a chapel with friends as witnesses. Their parents and siblings were thousands
I was 16 years old when I had the opportunity to shadow a highly intelligent young physician. He had a big smile and was kind. Watching from the corner of the exam room, I saw how well he interacted with the young child on the table. The mother of the patient sat across the room,
One of the prayers that I pray over my kids is that God would reveal himself to them in a very real way. It’s the only way to seal all of the ‘Christian’ things we do- going to church, serving, reading the Bible, family prayer. If we do all of those things, but they never
“Mama, is this the best coffee you’ve ever had?” I was sipping the cup she brewed using our machine. It was complete with cream, sugar and all. “It’s good!” “But… it’s not the best?” she asked. “It’s good!” I repeated. She smiled. She could tell I was trying to be nice. I hugged her. It
A hope and a future
As a child, I didn't understand why I had to follow so many rules. As a parent now, I get it. Keeping my room clean, picking up after myself after eating a meal, and being
