COVID, you thief! You robbed me and I’m mad. I tell myself to be grateful because I still have a job. Grateful my family is safe and healthy. Grateful for so much. . . And I AM grateful. I recognize my privilege. But the grateful feelings don’t cancel out the anger. I AM grateful. At the same time, I am…
Today, I’m raising my voice for black lives—here is why I haven’t before and why I do now. Let’s start with personality. Some students think I’m an enneagram 8, the Challenger. I’m not. I’m a 1, the Reformer (I prefer “Reformer” to “Perfectionist” because I like to deny my ugly truth). Since I’m a strong, bold, teacher, my students think…
“No one who walks down the aisle hopes to divorce in the future. But statistically many American marriages end in divorce. While divorce may be a relief, it is also filled with pain and questions. We need to pastor divorced people in a way that ensures they find peace with God and other Christians. Besides counsel and other help, we…
I grew up on kids’ Bible songs. I walked and lept around the living room as we sang about the healing of the lame man. I hit hits my fists together to show how “The Wise man Built his House” and I joined my hands over my head to show that “His Banner over me is love.” Even today, my…
I’m an enneagram 1 wing 2 and social media is toxic to me. I have long poked fun at those those enneagram-cult-people. . . But a couple of them have gotten me hooked (you know who you are). I’m a 1 wing 2 and social media is toxic for me. Besides being self-critical (as noted in this post) I am…
On New Year’s Day, my social media feed was filled with everyone’s accomplishments in the last decade. As a *true* enneagram 1, I responded with joy for them AND self-critique for being un-accomplished. Then I went for a run. I thought about my last decade. I got choked up. (Getting choked up isn’t so good for breathing while running). I’m…
It is 1995. I board my first international flight to teach elementary school in Paraguay. There, I fall in love. It is NOT with someone tall dark and handsome. I fall in love with the Paraguayan people, international ministry, and myself in a foreign context. I gustily sing Marcos Witt with the worship team, preach once or twice in Spanish,…
Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated our Initiation for the ninth class of Woman at Nyack College! Part of the Initiation involved the leaders sharing their stories of embracing their own womanhood. Our Alumnae Coordinator, Rebecca Cheung wrote hers out–BEAUTIFUL! She’s let me share it below: I didn’t know that I was fighting myself Woman revealed lies I didn’t…
Woman is Expanding! It has always been my dream to see this beautiful, empowering Rite of Passage offered to more than simply Nyack College students. On October 6th, my dream came true! Three members of my leadership team and I headed down to Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, NJ, where we trained an amazing group of women in the philosophy behind Woman…
Every marriage is the union of two very different people. My husband and I are more different than many. He grew up in Damascus, Syria, where St. Paul was converted. It’s the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. I grew up in the woods of upstate New York, in a town inhabited for about 200 years. He grew up…