binu samuel

Many, many summers ago, my younger son made it clear, he was NOT excited about starting kindergarten. So one day, in an effort to change his little heart, my mom drove her two grandsons by my old elementary school. “This is where your mother & nana (aunt) went to school,” she said with excitement. “School.

My boys may look alike and share a common love for God and basketball, but don’t let that fool you…they are VERY different. One is structured, the other is free spirited. One likes people but appreciates his ’alone time,’ the other thrives around people and could be around them 24/7. One takes quite awhile to

As soon as the Fall of 2019 rolled around, I knew this was it. Within a year, my baby would graduate from high school and leave for college. Just thinking about it put a lump in my throat, butterflies in my stomach and filled my heart with anxiety. ‘I gotta get a grip,’ I thought.

Back in January of 2019, my sister, Anu, encouraged us to create an ‘altar of remembrance.’ So I did. And over the past couple of months, my altar (aka- thankfulness jar) has been filling up at an alarmingly faster rate than usual. In July, my older son recovered from COVID-19. Thank you Jesus! Time to

I know we sounded like crazy parents, but we couldn’t help ourselves. In the days leading up to dropping our son off to college, my husband and I felt the need to squeeze in every last piece of advice we could think of… –Don’t do weed. People may try to convince you that it’s practically

If there is anyone in this world who enjoys being at home, it’s me…but my son comes in for a very close second place. (If you look up homebody in the dictionary, you might even see our picture). So when it came time for him to decide on a college to attend, my husband and

A few weeks ago, my son tested positive for Covid-19. As I sat on the floor beside his bed (in between administering breathing treatments and temperature checks), the Holy Spirit prompted me to read and study Psalm 23. It’s a familiar chapter (most of us have it memorized). It’s usually read at somber occasions…but if

The medical residents were making their way into my father in laws’ ICU room…so I stepped out of the room. His kidneys were failing, he had double pneumonia in his lungs, no one had a clue about his brain function and a ventilator seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive.  I could hear

We are halfway through the year… Can you remember what you were doing the evening of December 31, 2019? I was at a friend’s house. We ate good (but not good for me) food, hung out then transitioned to a time of prayer, reflection and a challenge for the new year ahead.  A new decade

Covid19 was insane & uncharted territory for all of us, but at least I understood my role in slowing the spread of the virus. Wash my hands. Wear a mask. Social Distance. Plus, as an “essential worker” (I’m in healthcare and I work at a grocery store), I felt like I was doing my part