The Mothership

  I don’t usually fold this laundry. I’m folding it out of love for an overwhelmed teenager. As I’m folding, I’m thinking about how the laundry pieces used to be tiny and the amount I used to fold was mountainous. Thoughts flood of how quickly that season of doing everything for them has passed. How now its even harder to change my survial responses to more of a listening response. While I was in that season of tininess, it took a daily dose of grace to remind myself that the moments are fleeting.  I find a shirt and of course, it is littered with words of empowerment, but most boldly stands the word PERSPECTIVE . As I have parented as of late, I don’t think I’d be winning any awards of compassion or understanding. Infact I hear quite regularly "I don't know...you don't understand." I’ve never done this teenager thing of raising semi-adults while I myself am headed through my own emotional roller coaster. I feel like I could wallow in self-pity for all the times I cou...

She sits gazing...gazing at what I am not sure. I am blinded by the light emitting from around the outline of her silhouette.  She is bathed in a radiant glow that also gives off an aroma.  I step closer to realize the woman is scented in a fine perfume. She is not concerned of others. Nor the details of her physique.  But she has her eyes on one thing... The light that emits from her is because of her faith...it has saved her. She is peace. She is radiant. She exudes joy, wonder, and forgiveness. She is the presence of peace because she has made His heart her home. I see all of this, taking in each detail without even seeing the details. Details of the heart are not something one can see at first glance. But as you study them they become the dominant features. Her spirit is so in tune with God's because her spirit is God's. She shows abundant love because she has been forgiven much. Her hands hold an alabaster jar. All of her senses pointedly looking and activating to th...

Are you in the Valley of Weeping or a place of refreshing springs? Truth is you are either close to the edge of embankment, on your way down, settled at the bottom, or on your way down the stream of your journey.  How interesting that our tears of blessings were once, possibly, our tears through heartache and suffering? The tears that we shed - dry or soaking wet - during our strife become the refreshing springs our body and mind need for renewal. When we we find ourselves at the bottom of the valley it is in Him we can only find encouragement and the endurance to make it to the place of peace.  Our tears, fears, and struggles fall down the rocky bank only to collect into large puddles. We can trust ourselves, but when we do, all that is left is dry ground - never quite quenched. When we trust Him, he guides us along the stream, picking up speed for the journey ahead. Until, all of a sudden we embody the joy and wisdom that only he can give. We come away fully encouraged and c...

Struggles are real around here people. Struggles to make it through the days. Battles fought in the mind of identity, comparisons, and self worth. And this has been a struggle since I was little. However, my story never ends in defeat. The story always ends in victory. I know for some of us the battle is long, hard, and never seems to leave and for you...I am wholeheartedly praying. Praying for peace to break in and take hold. Because every time it does the battle has less casualties. I have come a long way, and ground is being taken and restored, but it has been a journey. I wanted to write about this to encourage anyone struggling with reading, writing, and comprehending. As a child, I was a struggling reader. I could read and decode the words on the page, but by the time I did, I had no idea what I had actually read. I would read, and reread, but not understand anything a text was saying. All the more, I hated writing and thought very little of anything I could produce. I hated re...

Hurt is all over the place. We see it in the everyday... ...in the parent-less child ...in the destruction of marriage ...in the tearing down of people ...in the the drug epidemic that plagues your neighborhood ...in the mentally sick ...in the weapons that are used in the face of fear ...in allllllll the sickness and amidst it all, there is goodness.  Goodness for God's redemption story. It's all about perspective...it's all about how you handle "the news". Sure there are loads of opportunity to be depressed, and down and feel as if you are never making it out. But what is that doing for you?  Is that forward progress? NO! When bad news comes it would be unrealistic to be happy when you should be sad.  But Jesus, Jesus is the defining line to sad and depressed...he is what pulls me out from the depths...he is what changes my perspective and shows me that he has SHOWN UP in the terror of the bad news. Jesus is there.  Among the worry, among the hopele...