Remembering Our Warriors on Memorial Day
"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.” —G. K. Chesterton Today, in the US, we celebrate all those who have given their lives for our country. Namely, we honor all the men and women in our military who bravely fought to protect us, and never came home. However, this year, our country has fought a war unlike anything our generation has ever known. This year, war has come right up to our doorstep. The enemy, unseen, has inflicted our most vulnerable. It’s infiltrated our most [...]
Three Screen-less Self Care Practices for the Pandemic Weary
Last week, for the first time in months, I went to see three people I love. There were birthdays and graduations to celebrate, so I dropped off gifts at each of their door steps. We kept our distance. Masks were worn. And—it was harder than I thought it would be. Where I expected my visits to be like little reunions, a sadness hung in the air. We couldn’t hug like we normally do. Almost everything we talked about related to how the virus has changed our lives. And being together—at a distance—was good, but strange. We kept our distance. Masks [...]
Are You Too Feeling Pandemic Weary?
Over the past few weeks, Tony and I have begun a new, unintentional ritual. Every morning, just as we sit down to pray before starting our day, I look at him. He looks at me. And we say, “It’s another day.” Then at least one of us (usually me), lets out a rather large sigh. Because it’s one more day of social distancing, one more day of shelter in place, and one more day of not knowing how long this will last. And all of this is getting terribly heavy to carry. The worrying about loved ones, the concern over [...]
To The Class of 2020, & The Lessons We’re All Learning
When the clock strikes Midnight on January 1, 2021, all of us are going to feel like the class of 2020. Collectively, we will feel like we survived the most widespread trial of our time—with all the politics and conspiracies that went with it. And, if we’re in a better place (Lord, we pray), we will feel like we’re graduating from one of the most challenging years of our lives. But right now, in May, academically speaking, the real Class of 2020 deserves their due. As many of you know by now, I was a youth pastor for over seven [...]
Can We Even Celebrate At a Time Like This?
Last week, I got a text from my dad. When I went to open it, I discovered he had held his phone up to his answering machine and video taped the message his doctor had left that afternoon. Earlier that day, my dad had an MRI, and his doctor had called to give him the results: No further growth. At this time, the tumors in my dad’s brain aren’t showing any growth since his previous MRI. The treatment is working. And as a family, we can all take a deep breath. Soon after listening to his text, I called my [...]
On Not Being A Mom on Mother’s Day
In a few days, in the US, we will celebrate the women who gave us life. If we have become moms, we ourselves will be celebrated. Only, if we are women “of a certain age,” who haven’t become moms, these celebrations will most likely bring up some rarely talked about, conflicting emotions. The one’s that make us wonder why somehow we’ve found ourselves outside this component of the circle of life. The sadness that has come from experiencing a separation between us and our sisters and friends who have become moms. And personally, for me, the reminder that I may [...]
