When we lived in Michigan, our closest family member, at least until Jukes joined the Hope party, was 3 hours away. Especially once we and our friends started having kids, we would struggle when friends would mention having regular date nights with grandparents watching kiddos: we couldn’t afford to pay babysitters AND pay for dinner! Continue reading “l e n t :: day29_surround”
Tag Archives: spiritual disciplines
l e n t :: day28_silence
I’ve never been a fan of silence. Starting at age thirteen, maybe younger, I would slide my portable CD player into the waist of my cheer shorts so that I wouldn’t have to mow the lawn in eight hours of silence. I would sing to myself, or recite my next upcoming drama lines, or tellContinue reading “l e n t :: day28_silence”
l e n t :: day27_spirit
an oldie but the best representation of spirit :: Raena J, circa January 2015 Raena is thoughtful and creative. Shy but attention-longing. Bright and cunning. Strong and willed. Spirited. All of which cause challenges almost daily. All of which initiate the greatest gut laughter. I would not be surprised if Raena became a world leader,Continue reading “l e n t :: day27_spirit”
l e n t :: day23_help
Tomorrow is move day : out of Mom and Dad’s to the Ranch House next door. We’ve all been “project”ing all day. Yes, all. Can’t you see how the girls are helping Jeff un-install and re-install our water filter? Well today was a full day; we needed help. The kind of help that Fazolis andContinue reading “l e n t :: day23_help”
l e n t :: day23_power
No explanation needed. There is power in prayer Your Faith is the key, And God’s good gifts You long to receive Are possible now – – If you will but dare To take Him at His word …and Believe! –Jon Gilbert (From a little gem my beloved grandfather, Richard Ripberger, used to carry around inContinue reading “l e n t :: day23_power”
l e n t :: day22_found
Today has been a bit of a rough day – not bad in circumstance per se (outside of my favorite pair of pants ripping in the I-obviously-do-not-have-a-thigh-gap kind of way) but in more of a head swimming, not always positive bit of overwhelm. It seemed some certainties were succeeding some seven month uncertainties only to beContinue reading “l e n t :: day22_found”
l e n t :: day21_witness
Witness is a term saved for few instances: attending or standing in a wedding, being present at or seeing a crime occur, or acting as a witness for faith. Each carries magnificent weight on an individual’s life—making a lifelong covenant, pursuing justice for a wrong, sharing Good News. Witness is people changing people’s lives. WitnessContinue reading “l e n t :: day21_witness”
l e n t :: day20_thirst
This morning, since the next IF:Equip study hasn’t started yet, I perused John Piper’s recent articles and decided to read one titled Love is the Main Thing in Saving Faith. Here’s a quick excerpt (although I encourage you to read the whole thing!): Here is the way Paul put it: The coming of the lawlessContinue reading “l e n t :: day20_thirst”
l e n t :: day17_see
Sometimes I don’t register all that I see. Like these girls and their eyes. Raena’s eyes are a dark brown that can barely be differentiated from the pupil. She has incredible depth and is often hard to understand as she lives in a unique world (plus she sometimes speaks in her own made up language).Continue reading “l e n t :: day17_see”
l e n t :: day16_joy
Today’s post may seem a little bit like fluff, but let me say that often joy is found in the fluff. When a song you jammed out to in elementary school comes on your Pandora station: JOY. When the Party Store clerk calls you “Miss” not “Ma’am”: JOY. When you get an extra fifteen minutesContinue reading “l e n t :: day16_joy”
Magdalene A.R. Mastin 