DEEP WATERS

T'was the day before Christmas, when all through the house... I wish I could say not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse in my home. But... we still have gift-wrapping to do and grocery shopping and cooking and baking. And yet, I had to take a break from my holiday preparations to write the final post in this blog series. As I've connected with friends and family members, it seems I'm not the only one grieving loved ones this season. And I'm certainly not the only one working through hurts and disappointments and major life transitions. So if you, or someone you love, is balancing loss and grief while also celebrating the most precious Gift we've ever received - our Savior, Jesus Christ - this post is for you. In my first two posts, I shared the two ways to help a grieving loved one during the holidays: expressing empathy and the Gift of Presence . Today I want to share another. It's pretty simple, but I've had confirmation over the last f...

It's so amazing when life comes full circle. And full circle is where I find myself today. Packing up. Relocating. Moving to Franklin, Tennessee... Again. Mid-October I wrote a post sharing about my family's move back to Franklin, a city we lived in for almost a decade.  Since then, so much has happened... God has blessed me with a job as a Communications Director for New Hope Academy, a wonderful private Christian school in Franklin. New Hope is as much a ministry as a school. With over half its student population receiving financial assistance, New Hope serves the lower income community like no other school I know. God has also blessed my husband Anthony with a new position, serving the Nashville Rescue Mission as Director of its recovery ministry. This too will be a deep, life-changing assignment. It's a transition from pastoral ministry, but we're excited to see how the Lord will use Ant's work to turn the hearts of people entangled in the web of su...

Yesterday the doors of the National September 11 Memorial Museum opened for the first time, welcoming President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, along with families of 9/11 victims. This memorial, a 110,000 square foot exhibition built entirely underground, that runs through the 16 acre site known as "Ground Zero", holds within its walls memories of those who lost their lives that day.   On Wednesday, I watched an NBC Nightly News report featuring the museum and its director, Alice M. Greenwald. As my eyes took in the artifacts that tell the story of the tragedy of September 11 , 2001 , I was pulled into the horror once again. A hand rake used by workers to search for human remains Fragments of the aircrafts destroyed during the attack A pair of shoes that a survivor kicked off so she could escape the World Trade Center  A teddy bear collected from Ground Zero after a prayer vigil I wiped a tear as I remembered. I felt like 9/11 had happened yesterday....

Last year, on September 11th, I published a reminder for us to never forget the nearly 3000 people that lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I remember that day like it was yesterday... Do you remember where you were on that day? Well, if you can remember that day, then obviously you were not counted in the number that died that fateful day. You are here for a purpose . Do you know what that purpose is? I believe we all have a special assignment from God that we were created for. I believe we all have gifts and talents and influence that God wants to use to impact the world. But I also believe that we all have a general calling in life. It may take on different forms and utilize different methods. I believe this calling can be found in the Bible: He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy  and to walk humbly with your God.*  No matter where we live, where we work, who we are, G...