{If you prefer to listen rather than read, check out the audio version of this post here on my podcast.} When I stepped in the door my jaw dropped. The buffed hardwood floors, the wrap-around staircase perfect for prom and wedding photos, the windows upon windows. As I walked through and saw the open floor plan, the granite counter tops, and all [...] Keep Reading
one word
One word for 2019: The big reveal!
This past Thanksgiving my family and I took an epic trip to Hawaii. We started planning the trip last December with the goals of spending time together, celebrating my late husband Ericlee’s life, and introducing the kids to Hawaii where our grandparents first met. Eighteen of us cleared our schedules and boarded planes to travel to the Big [...] Keep Reading
One word: Embracing a sense of Wonder for the new year
On New Year's Day, as our family was driving home in the evening from Los Angeles, we watched an incandescent full moon rising over the silhouette of mountains. She moved in a slow waltz to the center of the midnight blue sky like it was her dance floor. My girls were squealing in the back seat, "I want to see! I want to see!" I tried to take a [...] Keep Reading
Journey back to Haiti: Learning to Behold
The moment I set foot on the new tile in the church nestled in the mountains, I could feel the buzz. Wide-eyed, I scanned the crowd. There was an excitement among the women who gathered. They greeted me with smiles and kisses and enthusiastic hugs. Many of them have become dear friends over the years. This was the Esther Women’s conference in [...] Keep Reading
Farewell, old friend: When forty is the new thirty
This week I said goodbye to a good friend. She’s the friend who has walked with me through some of my greatest joys – the birth of two of my baby girls, finding my sweet spot in ministry, and learning a new language. She’s gone with me to book signings and baby showers. We have laughed until our bellies ached and sang together at the top of our [...] Keep Reading
ONE WORD: Glory
For the last several years, a small group of my friends have gathered just after the turn of the New Year for a “Word Party.” Every year the party looks a little different. We let the kids (12 among the 5 of us) run wild in the yard or jump on the trampoline or play sardines in the bedrooms while the mamas gather around the table. My friend Amy is [...] Keep Reading