My students and I have been engaging in conversations about civil rights this summer. It’s no coincidence that right now, during a wave of civil rights movements and a stronger push for equality, that all my students are African kids. We’ve been reading a lot of books inspired by civil rights activists and leaders to … Continue reading A kids book and a man I didn’t know to say thank you to.
The church is meeting again, but the sanctuary feels more empty now. Our chairs are carefully measured 6 feet away from the next family’s, and we’re told to leave the room quickly after service ends so the room can be properly sanitized before the next service. It’s different from the church I’m used to – … Continue reading Only Jesus can uplift us from across a room, encouraging and teaching us without a word.
My ministry to refugees was hurtful when I began 3 years ago. Once during my earliest days as an intern on the field, I stopped by a newly settled family’s home to check in. They’d been in the States for just a couple weeks at this point, and the woman told me she needed some … Continue reading When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert: a Perspective Shift
We are told to be alone right now, and I keep thinking about heaven. We are hunkered down at home. Some of us have finally gotten around to, and even finished, those projects we never thought we’d start. Others of us have given an embarrassing amount of time to Words With Friends; I somehow land … Continue reading Hang On, Heaven is Coming
“God is great not just because nothing is too big for him; God is great because nothing is too small for Him.” The Circle Maker, page 113 “When you pray regularly, you never know when God will show up or speak up. Today could be the day. When you live in prayer mode, you live … Continue reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson: Praying Big
“They shared a long silence. ‘What do we do, Father?’ ‘We have faith, Pino. We have faith and continue to do what is right.’” Mark Sullivan, Beneath a Scarlet Sky I’m deeply indebted to historical fiction as an entire genre, and owe a hearty thanks to some of these books that have reintroduced me to … Continue reading Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan: a Noble, Ordinary Hero
I do not have a great relationship with technology. I either surpass my screen time limits for social media, or I just avoid social media altogether. I’ll attempt to take notes or make lists on my phone, but then get tired of looking at the screen and revert back to paper – making a mess … Continue reading 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week by Tiffany Shlain: a Message About Rest
None Like Him | Author: Jen Wilkin | Genre: Christian, Nonfiction Paperback: 163 | Publisher: Crossway (2016) | ISBN: 978-1-4335-4983-0 In None Like Him, author Jen Wilkin describes 10 ways God is different from us, and why that’s actually really good news for us. These “10 ways” are actually 10 attributes, or personality traits, of … Continue reading None Like Him by Jen Wilkin: Marveling at God
An Ode to the Wins and Setbacks of 2019 If you know me, you know I love tradition and can tie sentiment to anything. But this winter, we gave up some things – traditions, expectations, rituals, shopping adventures. This season, working to get out of student loan debt has made a tremendous impact on our … Continue reading That’s a Wrap
The Matchmaker’s List | Sonya Lalli | Fiction, Romance Paperback: 329 | Publisher: Berkley (2019) | ISBN: 9780451490940 Here’s the first thing to know about The Matchmaker’s List: it’s not a holiday rom-com. Wanting to read some sweet, Christmas funnies, I searched for a few to put on hold at the library. The Matchmaker’s List … Continue reading The Matchmaker’s List by Sonya Lalli: Tension of Love, Culture, and Learning Lessons of Honesty
