Advent starts this coming Sunday, and friends, I’m not ready. My mind is in a million places. But you know what? That is exactly why the church celebrates seasons–to prepare Him room. To orient our hearts back to eternal matters. I need the month to prepare my heart to celebrate the momentous coming of our Immanuel. I need the month to settle my mind on Him in all His worthiness, joy, and glory. I won’t do it perfectly or...
This post is the third in a series I’ve been writing about things I never understood about racism. You can read the previous posts here and check out the anti-racism resource page for further learning. I used to say that the first time I saw racism was when I moved from a diverse community of military families in Okinawa, Japan, to the coastal town of Jacksonville, NC as a Junior in high school. Overt forms of racism were easy to pick out there:...
There are moments when all of us feel alone and forsaken, burdened “beyond our ability to endure” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Life can feel like way too much fo us. We cry out with the Psalmist: “Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.” (Psa 22:11 ESV) In this Psalm, David goes on to vividly describe how he feels surrounded by attackers, how his “heart is like wax,” and his strength is dried...
My sweet neighbor and friend, Lila, died from complications from lung cancer this week. She was in her late seventies. She read this blog, encouraged me, and told me stories about her life and her grandchildren. She even came to my art opening last month at a little local shop. The first week we moved into the neighborhood, she came over with some roses she and her husband had grown in their backyard. She was a beautiful person and...
Today was the last day of school for my girls! They’ve both grown so much this year, and now I’m excited to spend the summer going to the city pool and being off our routine. I also plan to work on a series of watercolor paintings for a First Friday art show at a local shop downtown in August (The Lady Jane if you’re local). If I get really productive, I may offer some paintings in the shop, too!...
This is part two of my series about things I never understood about racism. You can read part one here or watch the introduction to the whole series here. My anti-racism resource page is also up and under construction. Today, I’m talking about how I never understood a precise definition of a racist idea. Now, it might seem silly to even have to define a racist idea, but as I read, interact with people on these issues, and examine...
