My dad took the morning off today to take the kids swimming at a great pool and recreation center in nearby Mountlake Terrace. It is the same pool where my sister and I took swimming lessons growing up, and the place is filled with great memories for me. Our kids love the water, and Doug… Continue reading The Mom
Category: Culture
O Christmas Tree
There is a tradition in Portland, as in many cities, of celebrating the lighting of the giant Christmas tree in the center of town. Having never seen it live, Auntie Sarah and I decided to brave the elements (I forget how cold it is up here!) and head downtown with all three kids to see… Continue reading O Christmas Tree
Leaving the 99
Rudy Carrasco, our neighbor to the north, wrote a great piece in the Pasadena Star-News in response to the recent wave of gang violence in his community. He writes this about the need for intervention as well as the more common prevention initiatives: But doing gang intervention is not as easy as it sounds. In… Continue reading Leaving the 99
Licensed to bless
The other day I made my first venture out of the house alone with Elijah. Doug was home with the big kids and I needed to buy a hairdryer so I decided to make the trip to Target. I am not a shopper. I will do almost anything rather than shop, but I really needed… Continue reading Licensed to bless
A time to speak
I have the wonderful opportunity to speak at a symposium on women in ministry at this church this coming weekend. I am looking forward to meeting the great folks who have invited me, and hearing from those facilitating discussion throughout the day. I will be offering the keynote address during the luncheon, and I will… Continue reading A time to speak
Not the low-bottom guys
I caught an interesting piece this past week on the L.A. Homicide Blog on Kenny Mitchell, the founder of a group called Gangsters Anonymous. He has launched this organization based on this belief: “We are recovering gangsters who meet to help each other stay crime-free. We believe the gangster mentality is a disease–a mental disorder.… Continue reading Not the low-bottom guys
This has to be a joke
My husband just emailed me a link to this article. Please tell me this is not for real.
How the other half pray
On Friday, we packed up the family and headed north on the PCH to Malibu. Doug had a group of DMin students at a retreat center there, and he needed to meet with them one last time before they left. In spite of a lot of traffic it was a beautiful drive, and it was… Continue reading How the other half pray
For granted
Last week while skimming the headlines online, I caught a BBC report on maternal deaths (women dying as a result of pregnancy or childbirth) worldwide that included some staggering statistics on the number of women who still die regularly during childbirth. In Sierra Leone or Afghanistan, women have a one in eight chance of death… Continue reading For granted
Giving thanks
I am struck today by how inadequate I can feel in my ability to truly offer my thanks and gratitude to those who give so much to me and to my family. A few examples come to mind: After two long and I am sure exhausting weeks of helping us out, my mom left last… Continue reading Giving thanks