Sharing the Journey

In this second episode on discernment, I explain a process of discernment related to number of kids and involvement with ministry. I outline my approach to discerning in this particular season of life and some of the perceived fruits of that discernment 6 years later. 

Multiple years of longing for significant growth in the areas of career and family balance, desires for simplifying my life, and craving more space for silence positioned me to engage with core as my one little word for 2015. I had considered play as my word for the year, thinking about being more playful, a […]

My labor experiences have helped me to realize that when I have a plan and a narrative for how I anticipate aspects unfolding, I am able to be very calm; however, when the plan goes off track, I start to panic in the midst of pain or vulnerability. Once I saw that pattern within my […]

Early in our marriage, it was evident that I am future-oriented, while my husband is more naturally able to focus on the present and not worry as much. I have had to learn to recognize that worry to trust is a continuum and to intentionally work on shifting towards trust, which supports living in the […]

For the first time, in 2014, I chose a word in Spanish for my word for the year. The word translates as health, cheers during a toast, and the phrase to say when someone sneezes, like when we say in English, “God bless you.” I decided to take some creative liberty with the different translations […]

“Do you love God most?” “Why are you crying?” “What would it take to…?” “Why does that make you so sad?” Questions are powerful. In recent years as I have navigated discerning different aspects of life, including relationship with God, the vocation of marriage, career, and personal vocation, I have been blessed with different types […]

As I looked ahead to 2013, front and center in my mind was that after having our two daughters out of diapers and daycare for over a year, we were going to be starting over again with our third baby girl in April. I also knew that we might have another major life transition layered […]

After growing based on focusing on simplicity in 2010 and embrace in 2011, I narrowed in on a specific aspect of mindset by choosing gratitude for 2012. I saw choosing gratitude as a step further than merely embracing all that came my way. I chose the word at a time when I was going to […]

This Lent will be different for me than typical recent years, as I am on maternity leave and will not go back to work until Holy Week. While I do not have obligations related to my career in teacher education, my schedule is shaped by being deeply immersed in family life, so I am taking […]

My natural inclination is to want to know all the details, to know what to anticipate and start planning away accordingly. If I am trying to discern something, I desire to “just know” and move on into whichever the ultimate direction is going to be. However, recently God has been leading me on a journey […]