I witnessed something unexpected this weekend – a swirl of pain in a normally safe place. A group devoted to conversations about parenting adopted/foster children with connection, a group teaching and supporting the methods developed by my friend, Dr. Karyn Purvis, became a place of debate, contention, and pain. As I watched the conversation unfold, […]
Blog
Serenity, Courage, Wisdom
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change Courage to change the things I can And wisdom to know the difference. Amen, amen, and amen. I am in control of very few things, as much as I would like it to be otherwise. Parenting is the perfect opportunity to learn this […]
Four Simple Tips For Family Dinners
33 years – that’s how many years Russ and I have been sitting down to dinner together. Actually, more if you count the cafeteria at Seattle Pacific University. There were dinners at the group home where we worked the first year of our marriage. Later we dined in our 6th-floor apartment near Pike Place Market, […]
For the First Time in 13 Years
They carried it through the door of our little brick house. Two heavy pedestals with claw feet, followed by the two halves of the table, which were carefully placed on top. It had two leaves, each 18 inches wide, giving us three feet to extend the length of our table. I envisioned it with children […]
3,336 Miles and We’re Home!
Three thousand three hundred thirty-six miles – and we’re home. I’ve missed you! I didn’t expect to take such a long break from writing, that’s for sure, but life didn’t go the way I expected the week before we left. Russ was in Kenya and I was supposed to be finishing up the school year […]
On the Road
Hi friends. Just a quick note from the road to say hello. We made it to Billings last night and thought we would hit the road nice and early this morning, but Russ began getting sick last night. We think he may have brought a parasite home from Kenya. Hopefully he didn’t get malaria. We’re […]
![It's essential to view each member of the adoption triad: adoptee, first/birth parent, adoptive parent (and affected siblings) with compassion. We must listen to each other with open hearts and minds. A reader paid me the highest compliment when she said this post "invites everyone to the table." [link to post in profile]
#adoption #adopted #birthmom #adoptee #fostercare #onethankfulmom #couragedearheart](http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s320x320/sh0.08/e35/c0.100.800.800/20225256_811064229058296_1511621904560029696_n.jpg "It's essential to view each member of the adoption triad: adoptee, first/birth parent, adoptive parent (and affected siblings) with compassion. We must listen to each other with open hearts and minds. A reader paid me the highest compliment when she said this post \"invites everyone to the table.\" [link to post in profile]
#adoption #adopted #birthmom #adoptee #fostercare #onethankfulmom #couragedearheart")
![I love starting my mornings here in my thrift store chair with coffee and a stack of books. My routine is simple and life giving: Bible (She Reads Truth app is fantastic for reading plans), a few sentences in my One-Line a Day Journal (the only journal I've ever managed to keep), one line in my gratitude journal, prayer, a chapter (or less) in a book for my personal/spiritual growth. Then I organize my day in my planner, all before I turn on my computer. I try not to even look at my phone, other than my Bible app and texts (checking for texts from kids and family), before this is done, otherwise I'm quickly sucked into the vortex of social media, although it happens more often than I care to admit. Our world is so noisy, this little piece of my life is quiet. I'm reminded of who I am and whose I am; my priorities come more clearly into view - love God, love Russ, love my children, my family and friends, love the world. Do what God calls me to do with the gifts and resources he's given me. Live an open-hearted life. This all seems clearer when I start my mornings here. [I share this not because it's the right way to do it, but because there might be something here that speaks to you and is helpful. If so, take it. If not, that's fine. We learn so much from one another when we share our lives.]
#openhearted
#onethankfulmom
#couragedearheart #shereadstruth](http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s320x320/sh0.08/e35/20214077_128237287780164_1933912572390539264_n.jpg "I love starting my mornings here in my thrift store chair with coffee and a stack of books. My routine is simple and life giving: Bible (She Reads Truth app is fantastic for reading plans), a few sentences in my One-Line a Day Journal (the only journal I've ever managed to keep), one line in my gratitude journal, prayer, a chapter (or less) in a book for my personal/spiritual growth. Then I organize my day in my planner, all before I turn on my computer. I try not to even look at my phone, other than my Bible app and texts (checking for texts from kids and family), before this is done, otherwise I'm quickly sucked into the vortex of social media, although it happens more often than I care to admit. Our world is so noisy, this little piece of my life is quiet. I'm reminded of who I am and whose I am; my priorities come more clearly into view - love God, love Russ, love my children, my family and friends, love the world. Do what God calls me to do with the gifts and resources he's given me. Live an open-hearted life. This all seems clearer when I start my mornings here. [I share this not because it's the right way to do it, but because there might be something here that speaks to you and is helpful. If so, take it. If not, that's fine. We learn so much from one another when we share our lives.]
#openhearted
#onethankfulmom
#couragedearheart #shereadstruth")