Being on bed-rest carries significant challenges for me and for my family. Thankfully, we are a part of a community of people who know well how to care for and serve one another. In two days, I can already testify to the willingness of many to make serious sacrifices for our sakes, and as frustrating… Continue reading Spaghetti and tithing
Category: Money
Please Help
I was sitting in the front passenger seat of our van this afternoon waiting with the kids while Doug picked up some groceries inside Ralph’s. We were on our way home from the hospital where I have been since Friday with symptoms of pre-term labor. I was enjoying my time catching up with the kids… Continue reading Please Help
Inspiration
I received this email yesterday morning, and it moved me so very deeply: Erika, Your blog post today was wonderful. And I’ve been toying with an idea that I hope you can help me with – OR maybe you can direct me to someone else that can help me. I’ve been trying to be a… Continue reading Inspiration
Always with us
In discussions regarding economics, poverty and the like, people will call upon the words of Jesus that proclaim that the poor will always be among us. Many people have a sense that, well, inequality is just a result of the nature and function of social and economic systems, and they are certainly right. I have… Continue reading Always with us
That thing you said you would never do
I always said I would never drive a minivan. Maybe it was a result of those years at North Park, cruising around Albany Park in the Ford Aerostar (the Urban Outreach van) all the time. Maybe it was how I felt joining the minivan masses trying to pick the Staub girls up from their respective… Continue reading That thing you said you would never do
Out on the curb
Saturday afternoon, Aaron took me for a walk around the block and we ended up at our good friends’ house around the corner for a few times down the slide and some fun playing catch with their big pink ball. As we were leaving their house to come back home, a piece of furniture that… Continue reading Out on the curb
Being honest
It is an interesting thing I have learned about myself the last few years: the needier I feel, the stingier I become. I wrote about this in one of my earlier blog entries, and as much as I have repented of this and prayed for a new heart in this area, I still struggle. Clearly,… Continue reading Being honest
Home ownership
Doug and I (and half of L.A.) wish that we could afford to purchase a home. Real estate is out of control, even in our neighborhood, and the recent price tags I have heard for homes in our neighborhood are $800,000 and $1.2 million. Our neighborhood is made up largely of these big, at one… Continue reading Home ownership
My cup overflows
This past week Doug and I were served up a pretty giant helping of grace. Our car was in desperate need of some significant repairs, and the scope of work exceeded our resources. I received an email from someone I had never spoken to before, someone halfway across the country, offering to carry this burden… Continue reading My cup overflows
Day off
Doug had the day off yesterday so we decided to drive out to Joshua Tree with the kids. We took Mercy there when she was about six months old, and she LOVED it. Since we don’t want poor Aaron to have total second child syndrome (though it’s probably too late), we though it would be… Continue reading Day off