-
Rest and Receive
One week into social distancing and I got the bright idea to potty train the two year old. I figured, hey, if we can’t leave the house, we may as well get her out of diapers, right? Now we are one week into potty training and we have realized that the gratification of being out of diapers is not instantaneous. It’s a lot of work and rather exhausting getting there. But it is important to note the power of one chocolate chip. It is enough to lure a toddler to do almost anything, including pee on a potty. Two chocolate chips still isn’t enough to lure this toddler to do…
-
Beauty from the Ashes
This time last year I was reeling from a miscarriage, still actively grieving. I was also struggling to come to terms with the loss of my job in youth ministry. Lent felt very much like the desert last year. Time can be a beautiful thing though. It offers some distance, healing, and much needed perspective. Standing here, a full year later offers many glimmers of hope and beauty. I have settled into the rhythm of being a stay at home mom with Lucy, who truly is a light. And now we are expecting again, after nearly a year of trying. Beauty from the ashes. But then life throws a wrench…
-
The Temptations of Jesus
Before we dive into the temptations of Jesus, please take a minute to read the 1st reading and Gospel from the 1st Sunday of Lent. I am forever amazed by the scriptures. The way the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament, the ways that the Old Testament is a shadow of all that is to come in the new. Our Lenten observance is no different. It is steeped in scripture, and has its roots in the garden with the fall of man. The temptations of Jesus don’t come out of nowhere, we see where they come from when we look closely at the account of the fall. Now, I’m skipping…