Our hostess, her son, and his bride during the ceremony. The groom’s father speaking. A marriage blessing from the oldest man in the community. I’m sitting at a wedding dinner, in a spacious house made of mud bricks with a tin roof that clamors loudly when the rain pours […]
Read MoreOne Thousand Gifts
Thankful
“I’m assuming you know what’s happening with Mom but just in case you don’t she’s being admitted to the stroke ward at the hospital.” It’s the night before Thanksgiving, here in Thailand, I’m up prepping food for the next day. We’re having new friends over to celebrate with us, because […]
Read MoreOn Weathering Storms
The lights flicker for a second while I’m in the shower, and I quickly duck my head under the water again in case they go out completely. Our water comes from a well here, and is pumped into the house. No electricity = no pump = no water. It’s almost […]
Read MoreRemembering Shiloh-God’s Gift
Every so often when we visit Aaron’s parent’s house my MIL will call me toward the front to see what she’s done with Shiloh’s resting place now. It’s been a gardening challenge for her, to see what will grow there, and she’s changed out plants multiple times. I’m so grateful […]
Read MoreBetter Than Empty
When you go places with 4 children people notice, and they look for something to say. Some parents I know are offended by the comments. I see it as a way that others try to connect with what they see. Someone feels the need to observe to me, “You have […]
Read MoreBeach camping
My dad came to visit last week from Canada, for the first time in 3 years! Aaron was out of town for most of it but that didn’t stop us from packing as much fun into last week as we could. What I came home to the first time I […]
Read MoreTo be Alive
It’s almost 9am and I am struggling to give a squirmy toddler turned little boy a haircut as he sits in the bathtub. The cinnamon buns rise in the the pan in the kitchen and the husband newly returned from another business trip let’s me know the the oven dinged […]
Read MoreThank-you
A few weeks ago I told the story of some wonderful friends who came to the rescue in ways that were very needed at the time. What I didn’t expect was that that would inspire some more of you to do completely spontaneous and generous things that are bringing me […]
Read MoreNever Alone
Sometimes I lose perspective. Ok, a lot of times I lose perspective. I get over whelmed by straws, many tiny little straws that pile up until I feel like I can’t move. Monday was that kind of day. At some point in the morning I called Aaron, who is out […]
Read MoreHow to feel rich
The Girl really did not like the $2 day challenge. The day started with tears as I explained that she couldn’t have one of the clementines on the counter because they cost too much and then we wouldn’t have much more we could eat that day. “But why can’t I […]
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