Last month I ran in a trail race called Shadow of the Giants near Yosemite National Park. Through the years, this race has become a favorite to run with my friends. The course winds through the Sierra National Forest. It's always a feast for the senses as we run alongside the giant sequoia trees with their enormous trunks pointing toward [...] Keep Reading
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When God meets us in ocean waves
My one request for my 45th birthday was to go to the ocean. My husband Shawn and three daughters took me to a little beach town along the Central Coast of California called Cambria. I didn’t realize until we arrived that this was the same town my late husband Ericlee took me for my birthday almost 20 years ago. The memories [...] Keep Reading
10 picture books by AAPI authors you should add to your bookshelf
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) in the United States. In May, we celebrate the histories of Americans hailing from across the Asian continent and from the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The legislation to annually designate May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month was instigated by two [...] Keep Reading
A trip to the garbage dump: when God enlarged my heart for mercy
The back of my brown legs stuck to the squishy seat. The air was heavy, ominous perhaps. I was with a collective of Christian college students from across the United States, studying in Central America. We had no idea what we would encounter on this field trip of sorts. Before we could see anything, a putrid smell wafted through the windows [...] Keep Reading
10 unique, multicultural goodies for your Easter baskets
When I was a little girl, my mama was very intentional to find unique gifts and treats to include in my brother and my Easter baskets. She was a teacher so she always incorporated educational and creative gifts we could use, in addition to the usual chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. When I had kids of my own, I also tried to look for unique [...] Keep Reading
Create in Me a Heart of Hope: Navigating stormy waters
Bedtime was always a struggle. On a normal day, putting three rambunctious kids to bed can be challenging. After my husband died from cancer, I was left as a young widow with three daughters ages two, five, and eight. Bedtime often broke me. It was like a neon yellow highlighter stroke, a reminder that Ericlee was no longer there to help me. I [...] Keep Reading
