I'm responding to the Patheos challenge to write about "If you had a second chance and no limiting circumstances, what dream would you pursue?" as part of promoting "The Moment" If I had a second chance with no limiting factors I would: Have taught English in China instead of attending graduate school straight out of college. I would have had my adventure, solidified my Mandarin, and opened myself to who knows what doors? Then if I decided on graduate school, I would have known why I … [Read more...]
Here
April 13, 2013 By 4 Comments
For a long time the worship song, Here I am to Worship used to be my go to prayer-language-phrase. It was the phrase I found myself writing in prayer journals over and over again. It was the phrase I heard myself repeating to God when there was nothing else to say. It was the sentiment I felt most drawn to when it seemed the truth was more aligned with 'here I am having screwed things up Lord.' Acknowledging the here & now is the hardest part, isn't it? At least that's why I stuff … [Read more...]
Speak no Evil?
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
My son came home laughing. His friend’s mother swore while driving him home when another driver was rude, then apologized and said, “I don’t suppose that happens in your family.” “No it happens sometimes,” he said, “but not that much because my mom’s such a bad driver that she’s used to people being mad at her so she can’t swear all the time.” Sigh. It’s true. I’m a terrible driver. And I also curse occasionally. Why? Other than the fact that I have … [Read more...]
After
April 6, 2013 By 10 Comments
After it's all said and done, I'll be with Jesus. After I have all these shiny daubles and red-bottomed shoes, I'll be with Jesus. After I pour out my life as a drink offering, I'll be with Jesus. After I seek and pine and beg and clamor my way towards recognition, I'll be with Jesus. After I lay down my life for these babies of mine, I'll be with Jesus. After I lie, cheat & steal for a little earthly comforts, I'll be with Jesus. After I dirty my knees in copious prayer … [Read more...]
Run Baby Run
April 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Last summer, I dreaded the prospect of living with 2 teenage high school girls. Between hormones, pimples, potential boy/girl drama and the stress of honors classes, the likelihood for bedlam in our home was huge. I especially worried how the transition might overwhelm Kai as she became a freshman—and how her stress and unhappiness would increase my stress and unhappiness. To my surprise, it’s been awesome! Apart from the grace and goodness of Jesus, there’s one reason: … [Read more...]
Zip My Lips
April 2, 2013 By 4 Comments
I’m a little critical. OK. A lot critical. I blame it on being Chinese. If the Bible writes “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” the Chinese version would be “I criticize you because I love you.” So for our Lenten discipline, some friends and I decided to do the Love Dare with our husbands. Each day, we were supposed to follow the dare of the day. I got stuck on Day 5 Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with … [Read more...]
Lent Success! (For My Kid, Not Me)
March 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment
My daughter gave up chocolate for Lent. This amazed me for many reasons: She’s not the sort of kid who so far has evidenced any desire to give up anything for Lent. She’s a foodie She’s an incredible baker who’s constantly churning out treats that make my losing weight New Year’s resolution nigh near impossible She’s so slim that she can eat all the chocolate she wants with no consequences (yes, go ahead and hate her, several of us feel the same way) When Ash Wednesday … [Read more...]
My Kids are Rotten, Just Like Me
March 27, 2013 By 2 Comments
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! --Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas Kids create noise. Especially if they’re siblings. Especially if there’s more than one of them. And it gets worse as they get bigger. With their big hulking bodies and bigger vocal cords and bigger chaos from bigger conflicts, I just get overwhelmed. Just like the Grinch, I can’t take the noise, noise, … [Read more...]
She Did It! Driver’s License Success!
March 25, 2013 By 1 Comment
Last Monday Ling passed her driver’s test, on her first try no less! And as in so many events of this spring, I was half a continent away so missed both the trauma and the celebration. First the trauma. Teaching driving can drive (ha ha) a parent to drink or even worse, texting. 16 year olds don’t like being told what to do by their parents, and even less being critiqued every couple of seconds. I had hoped that the driving school and the husband would do the bulk of the … [Read more...]
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