Day One in Cape Town :: We Feast
This is Part 4 in a four-part series on our arrival in Cape Town, South Africa. Click the following links to read the first three posts: Part 1: Homecoming: Our Cape Town Arrival After Five Years Away Part 2: Returning Home Part 3: Why We Came: Return to Cape Town 10 June 2018 “I wonder if I can get up on the wall my myself now,” my daughter says, looking up at the wall she remembers sitting on with her dad when she was seven. She’ll be thirteen next month, but the wall is still several inches taller than she is. I watch as she backs up to get a running start. She makes a solid...
Why We Came :: Return to Cape Town
This is Part 3 of the story about our arrival in Cape Town, South Africa after five years living overseas. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. 9 June 2018 “This house is like a train!” Kagiso exclaims. “It’s so long!” It’s the same house he lived in for three years before we got married in 2004. After five and a half years away, he sees it through fresh eyes. We gawk and marvel at all of the changes Mom has made since we’ve been gone—a renovated kitchen, a new dining room set, new floor-length, wall-to-wall curtains. After noticing the new, my kids go in search for the familiar. “Remember...
Returning Home
This is Part 2 of our story returning home to Cape Town after five years living in the States. Read Part I here. 9 June 2018 I use up the last tissue in my pocket dabbing my eyes and blowing my nose, doing my best to pull myself together before we fall into tight hugs with those waiting for us. We stop at the bathroom and I splash water on my face and sigh at the mirror that reveals my swollen, bloodshot eyes. We pass without fanfare or incident through passport control—four with South African passports by birth, and me, with permanent resident status. It takes three self-serve...
Homecoming :: Our Cape Town Arrival After Five Years Away
9 June 2018 After what felt like a never-ending flight from Amsterdam to Cape Town, the countdown on the screen in front of my airplane seat told me we had six minutes until landing. Since it was after nine o’clock at on a South African winter night, the sun had set hours before. I looked out the window to see an expanse of dotted lights below. Cape Town spreads out forever, I thought. Having lived in a quiet American suburb for the past five years, I was surprised by how densely populated the city looked from above. I wished it were daytime so we could see the mountains and coastline,...
A Place to Land Reviews, Reader Responses, and Appearances
In this special edition link-up, I'm giving readers an opportunity to share A Place to Land reviews and creative responses to the book. Have you already read A Place to Land? Feel free to leave your own response or review in the comments below! Want to know what other people are saying and how this memoir impacted them? Read the posts below, both within this post and those linked up at the end. Enjoy! Podcast Interviews and Guest Blog Interviews Podcast interview with Alana Dawson from Mom Wants More Summer Book Club Podcast interview on Lighten Up! with Melanie Dale Podcast...
The Story Behind the Memoir, A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging
My memoir, A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging, officially releases today! Well, here we are. After more than four years working on this project, today A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging officially releases into the world. Writing this memoir wrung me out in all the best ways. It sanctified me and shaped me, and even if it never made it to publication, I'm so grateful for the way the Lord has used this whole experience in my life. In many ways, I look at the finished product with mixed emotions. There is definitely a sense of gratitude to God for...
A Prayer for Comfort for Those Who are Grieving
Are you or someone you know grieving a loss right now? If so, here is a prayer for comfort just for you. If you'd like a printable version of the prayer for comfort, you can find a free printable download below. If you're looking for an additional resource to help with the grieving process, I pray that my book, Letters to Grief, will be an encouragement to you: CLICK HERE to purchase on Amazon Affiliate links have been used in this post Want a sneak peek inside? Here's a two-minute video of me reading the first letter from Letters to Grief: +++ A Prayer for Comfort...
5 Truths About Home {Guest post by Brenda L. Yoder}
It's my pleasure to welcome author, speaker, and licensed mental health counselor Brenda L. Yoder today, with a guest post on five truths about home. I recently read Brenda's book, Fledge: Launching Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind, and I can highly recommend it! My oldest is turning sixteen this month, and the other two are close on his heels. The encouragement and advice that Brenda shares from her own experience helped me to see the importance of these final years before my kids leave the home. Fledge nudged me to re-evaluate my heart and my priorities, and to be more intentional...
How to Be a Good Friend During Hard Times
If the tables had been turned, I would've had no idea how to be a good friend on such a difficult, emotional day. Shucks, I hardly know what to write in a sympathy card when my friends experience loss -- and yet, on the day my mom died, my friends showed up for me. Their simple acts of kindness spoke volumes, and taught me that I don't have to have eloquent words or a solution to a problem in order to make a positive, meaningful impact. If you're wondering how to be a good friend during hard times, I hope this story from my own experience will be a blessing and an encouragement to you....
Christ at Home in Me {Guest Post by Katie M. Reid}
I am so excited to welcome my dear friend, Katie M. Reid, to Heading Home today. Katie has been such a blessing to me in recent years, always with a brilliant idea or timely encouragement to share. Katie's first book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done, releases this summer and I can't wait for you to read it! This book really challenged and convicted me in all the best ways, and helped shift my perspective on grace and my identity as a beloved daughter of God. Read the first chapter and pre-order Made Like Martha here. ...
Hi! I'm Kate, and I'm so glad you've stopped by! Click here
Join the Five Minute Friday Writing Community:
Featured on:
