how to grow missions-minded children
I recently posted 12 Ways to Encourage Missionaries. In the post, I mentioned that the tips shared were the fruit of a discussion amongst some of the ladies at our church. Another component of that same discussion was how to cultivate an interest in missions amongst children. Here are 12 ways to encourage children to be more missions-minded: Read missionary updates or portions of news to the children to generate and strengthen their interest. Often I just read the newsletters myself and don’t remember to share the news and prayer points with my kids. Set aside a specific day or days in...
that time i ran out of baby wipes in a fancy restaurant
It was eight years ago, back when I only had one kid, and I was still learning this whole motherhood gig with every turn, every change of the so-called routine, every new trick learned by my growing daughter. It was December, and I had traveled alone with my four-month-old girl across an ocean from South Africa to Michigan, to stand up in my sister's wedding and introduce the newest member of our family to my relatives. On our short visit, I had an opportunity to catch up with some friends from high school for breakfast. The venue chosen was several steps up from McDonald's, to say the...
12 ways to encourage missionaries
Here are 12 ways to encourage Christian missionaries: 1. Read their updates. Like, actually read them. 2. Reply to their newsletters, even if it's just one line, to say, "Thanks for the update." 3. Pray for them. Set aside a specific time, maybe one evening a week, that is specifically designated for praying for certain missionaries and their work. 4. If you have prayed for them, tell them. It can be encouraging to hear, "I'll pray for you," but how much more so to hear, "Our family prayed for you last night," or "Our Bible study group prayed for you at our last meeting."...
making art on the hearts of our children
The other day I jotted down a few thoughts on art and legacy, asking myself questions like, What am I doing to craft memories for my own children? How am I instilling a love of art, of beauty, of story in their soft and tender hearts? What memoirs will they sift through in their own minds when I’m gone? And as the week has blossomed, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about how my interactions with my children this week would look if they were transcribed onto a stretched canvas or a sheet of 200gm watercolor paper. Have I been painting with warm, soothing hues, or have my words...
the song of the motherless daughter
So, I’ve already proclaimed my excitement and delight about Lisa-Jo Baker’s book, Surprised by Motherhood. Lisa-Jo gets it. This motherhood thing? She absolutely gets it, in all of its glorious chaos. She had me choked up with emotion and laughing out loud, practically in the same breath. But today, I want to focus on one aspect of the book which struck a particularly tender chord that is still resonating today, weeks after I finished this fabulous book. Though I’ve yet to meet Lisa-Jo Baker in person, we have much in common. We both write, not only for the love of writing, but for the...
rough road
It’s March in Michigan, and after a long, harsh winter, the heaps of snow are finally diminishing. After nearly forgetting what grass and tarmac look like, we are starting to see the roads again, and they can be summed up with one word: Potholes. Galore. Not just here and there, scattered and interspersed. They’re everywhere. And they’re unavoidable. Jarring. The other day I was driving on a particular stretch of road, and a yellow diagonal sign with two orange flags protruding from the top warned me: Indeed, it was. Not just the usual couplets and trios of potholes strung together,...
art and legacy
It's Monday again, and I've committed to posting a memoir each Monday as part of a series I started a couple of weeks ago. But today .. Today, I'm flat and depleted and emptied, not of memoirs, but because of memoirs. I haven't run out of them, I've just been run down by them. By the weight of them, and the fact that, by nature, they're history. Past tense. And sometimes that hurts. Yesterday, in preparation for a garage sale, my sister and I sat on the carpeted floor of her basement and went through more Rubbermaid totes of belongings that used to be our mom's. For the umpteenth time,...
between heaven and earth – a review
Those who follow this blog will know that I often write about the topic of heaven and eternity. In fact, the entire focus of this blog in October 2013 was Defining Home in 31 Days — specifically, how we can elevate heaven in our minds when we think about ‘home.’ So when I saw that a new book called Between Heaven and Earth: Finding Hope, Courage and Passion through a Fresh Vision of Heaven was available from Bethany House, I requested a free copy in exchange for a review. Since I’ve done so much reading and research about the topic, I found that this particular book had a lot of overlap...
memoir monday – the rollerblading incident
It was a balmy June evening, and I had an itch to get out. After strapping on my rollerblades, the ones that always reminded me of downhill ski boots, I waddled gracefully across the front lawn, through the gravel by the mailbox, and down the neighborhood road to the bike path on Lakeshore Drive. I turned south, and inhaled the moist summer air. Lake Michigan was less than half a mile to my right, shielded by driveways lined with overprotective trees that ended in lakefront private property. Finding my stride, I glided in rhythmic motion left, right, left, right, soaking in the rush of...
malva pudding and motherhood
Today I'm breaking the mold of my usual posts to share some essentials: A malva pudding recipe ... .. and news about the upcoming release of this book. Because what better way to celebrate the arrival of an amazing book written by an amazing South African, than malva pudding! I'm eight chapters into Lisa-Jo Baker's first book, Surprised by Motherhood, and ohmygoodness, if you are a mom, it is a must read. Lisa-Jo gets it. All of it. And she's not afraid to share 'Everything I Never Expected About Being a Mom' .. It's all that you find out as a mom and wish the parenting books had...
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