A friend who just finished Last Summer at Eden mentioned she was surprised by all the romance in the book. She wrote this note across the top: “Isn’t it unlikely that hooking up would happen so much at a Christian camp?” I was confused. Because, of course. Camp love stories are as common as the chigger bites and buttered corn. Right?...Continue Reading
Dear Sam…. Your letter is hard to write because there is so much I want to tell you. This summer you have grown up so much. Because of all the ways you’ve matured, I think Third Grade will be your best year yet. Sam, as I’ve prayed for you over the years, I’ve asked God...Continue Reading
Dear Catie…. When you were younger and you didn’t understand something, it seemed harmless. Look at you trying to type! One day we will laugh about how hard this was for you. You hate to comb your hair. You’ll look back on pictures of this and cringe. But now that you’re in Middle School, it feels...Continue Reading
Here’s a riddle for you: An introvert walks into VBS. What happens next? If you’re a deep thinker like me, you know the answer. Walking into a rocking sanctuary with 200 people is like stepping on to Super Loud Planet Extrovert. We shut down a little bit. Everyone is yelling. Us introverts would rather think about Jesus than scream about...Continue Reading
Dear Elisabeth…. Wow! You have been so READY for today. You packed your backpack days ago. You set out the perfect first-day-of-school outfit last night. As we’ve talked and prayed about this year, you’ve said over and over: I want to do everything right. Elisabeth, you are outstanding at doing what’s right. You are a homework-finishing, uniform-wearing, seated-before-the-bell-rings...Continue Reading
Dear Nate… You are so ready for Kindergarten. You have heard the stories about how ridiculously fun Mrs. Miesner is. You have watched the Kindergarten classes as they played big-kid instruments at chapel. You have heard unbelievable tales of Kindergarteners reading whole books–on their own. You have listened wide-eyed to the incredible stories of a class with no naps, who has cooking lessons and...Continue Reading
1. Go to church for yourself. You need the quiet space, the Sabbath, the communion. You need to know everything will be okay if you turn off your phone, your Instagram, and your to-do list. Better actually. Listen closely to the ancient Word, the new songs, and the liturgy you’ve heard seven thousand times. You need...Continue Reading
Our family’s Ash Wednesday was a mess. We chose work commitments and homework over church. And when we told the kids we weren’t going, Elisabeth and Sam started to cry. This pricked my anxiety: were our kids so emotionally disturbed they couldn’t handle a little schedule change without falling apart? When had we become that...Continue Reading
To show how God helps us with scary problems, the Fifth Graders did chapel about David and Goliath and fear. Then each of them told about a Goliath in their lives. Catie’s Goliath was that she doesn’t understand math. No surprise. Struggling with Fifth Grade math is as genetic as her blonde hair, big feet,...Continue Reading
So, this is really brilliant. I am a Bible study writer, who keeps forgetting about the Bible. How does this happen? How am I so selfish and forgetful and lazy that I want to write inspirational ideas about Jesus, but I can never remember to START WITH THE BIBLE? The really fantastic pattern goes something...Continue Reading
