Establish the work of my hands.
Am I making myself available to the Lord, so that He can equip me with the good work He has called me to do? It’s easy to get distracted with the busyness of life and lose focus on what truly matters. “Seek ye first, His kingdom first.” The lyrics to the song, my South African […]
South Africa: Mission Trip No. 3
I find it curious that the first day of Lent is on Valentine’s Day. I can’t think of a better way to spend a day about love than preparing our hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter. An opportunity to go deeper with God and personal reflection. I was noticing the scar on my […]
You are held.
I was resistant to writing a blog post this week because I had a difficult week and didn’t feel like I had anything helpful to share. The Lord reminded me, in a not-so-subtle way, that it’s good to share in our suffering. Thursday morning, I was running and felt nudged to write about my week […]
Pruning.
I was reflecting on how one of the motivators behind being a therapist was and is the desire to be a safe place for people. I know this may be obvious, but for some reason it took me by surprise, when I realized God is my safe space. Maybe because I have lived so long […]
Crossing over.
I had several opportunities to reflect on my past this week. I have taken part of a research study by a local university since 2003. They started interviewing me yearly, then the gap in between interviews grew over time. They ask questions about anything from my lifestyle to why I made the choices I did. […]
Look up.
I remember that it only took about 3 days in Africa for my perceived problems to fall away from my conscious. Being present with others in their suffering brings my problems into perspective. I intended to share with my couple of close South African friends about what has been going on in my life, but […]
Refined as silver.
I am always amazed at how the verses that stand out to me, to memorize, in the moment of choosing don’t hold a lot of significant value, but later I realize how perfectly they fit and spoke to the season I just endured. A couple months ago when I memorized Zachariah 13:9, I didn’t know […]
Look at the birds.
I had someone ask me yesterday what my biggest take away from Africa was. Since I was put on the spot, I didn’t have time to give a thoughtful answer. As I sit here and ponder that question, the answer is very clear- their trust in God. As I was lying on the bed, next […]
Love has no language.
As I recited Jeremiah 17:7-8, I had a deeper understanding of it, or maybe I saw it through a different lens. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, who’s hope is the Lord. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not […]
“Then God opened her eyes.”
The South Africans are so giving and loving. They want to bless me and I’m like “No! I’m here to bless you!” They don’t ask for anything. They just want to give and show love. The experience of generosity here is something I’ve never experienced. My heart literally feels swollen. I have this overwhelming desire […]