Just Write

Many of us began the e-learning process this week. This platform for class meetings, that website for assignments, the other program to access a textbook...it’s mind-boggling. As a parent, I feel for my kids and all they’re missing out on by not being in school. Social interactions with friends, live instruction from teachers, special school events they’ve looked forward to and worked toward. I also feel for the teachers and all they’re missing out on by not being in school. Thousands of remarkable people who selected an undervalued career with notoriously low pay because they love interacting with children, and are now pouring massive amounts of time and effort into learning new technology and trying to find creative ways to provide meaningful instruction via computer. I also feel for parents, as we struggle to help our children navigate life when we suddenly don’t know how to navigate it ourselves.  I was reminded this week by Priscilla Shirer’s study of Gideon, that cris...

I was asked yesterday what I thought God was teaching me in this strange time. I admit, I hadn’t thought about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’d thought about His provision, His protection, and His providence, but I hadn’t asked Him what He was teaching me, specifically. I think it’s this: that in the battle between good and evil God absolutely wins, but that doesn’t negate the existence of evil. God tells us in Romans 8:28 that for those who love Him, all things work together for good. This does not mean that circumstance is good. It means that God and His work are good, and that those who love Him will experience that in spite of the present suffering (Rom. 8:18).  In every battle, before there is victory there is loss, and there are lessons.  There is always a middle; the time between when the battle begins and when the victory is claimed. It is uncomfortable and uncertain. It is sometimes even guilt-ridden because we know that God is sovereign and yet life still feels hard. ...

Recently on the Hello Mornings Blog, a post began: “You might think you need to keep your time with God separate from your planning time…” The post illustrated a potential benefit of linking the two; that keeping your To Do list close might actually improve your focus on scripture and prayer. Now let’s explore how you might benefit from another connection between two of the Hello Mornings components: Move and Plan.  It’s likely there has been a morning when you’ve promised yourself, “I’m definitely going to exercise today” and never got around to it. Perhaps you put on workout clothes while getting dressed, believing your choice of apparel will help you get to the gym. Unfortunately the gym doesn’t have a magnetic connection to the outfit, physically pulling you in. You’d think athletic wear companies could make that happen with all their modern tech fabrics! Here’s the thing: you’re busy. You’re pulled in many directions throughout the day; you have tasks and responsibilities...

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  There were so many smiles today. So many grateful looks exchanged and moments of joy shared. The paper and ribbons are now crushed and cast aside, but the joy is not.  Advent - the season of waiting, of expectation - is by its very definition a build up of excitement and anticipation. We work and plan and prepare for Christmas, and frequently experience a sense of loss once the festivities conclude. We have spent a month shaking the snow globe and when the glitter settles the mundane returns.  So often we feel depressed when the revelry ends. Tonight though, I was struck by a new perspective: this day is over, but Christmas  is not. Christmas is a celebration of the coming of Jesus, and that is the very promise from whence our hope comes every day. As I reflect tonight I am acutely aware of the coexistence of joy and sadness in my heart.  I’m not sure I’ve ever been as cognizant of feeling them si...

Hmmm...yep, looks like another hiatus! Just wanted to check in and let you all know that I really am coming back to writing! We've just been in birthday overdrive here for Eli's 4th today! So, now that things are about to settle back into normal (whatever that is), you can expect to see a little more around here! Just not tonight. :)

...depending on how you look at it. Yes, it happened, I dropped the ball on my writing project and took a five day hiatus. The funny thing is that I was quite surprised when I looked at the calendar and saw that it had only been five days. It feels like I haven't written in at least a week and half. Day 1 of my sebatacle found me enjoying a sunny afternoon in the backyard with my kids...notebook and pen in hand. I began writing, but after less than a paragraph stopped and thought, "I don't want to write." This thought wasn't qualified with a right now ; it felt more like an ever . This lead to four days of reevaluating. Why am I writing? What do I want to write? Do I really want to write? I really want to edit. I want to be a copy-editor. I really don't want to write my own stuff, I want to edit other peoples' stuff. And so on and so forth. About a week ago I finished reading A Million Miles for a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. Great read, by the way. ...