I've been married 10 years. I'm starting to realize that the longer I'm married, the less I know about marriage. I thought I would arrive at year 10 all knowing, wise, and coast the rest of the way. But the longer we are here, the more we know each other, the less I have it … Continue reading 2 become 1
Let's just get this out of the way: I don't think singing patriotic songs as part of a Christian worship service pleases God. We Americans have a hard time seeing it unless we've been outside the US context and watched the damage done by mixing the fallible US government, past actions, & current culture with … Continue reading But I’m still patriotic
America. I love you like the childhood home we return to as adults. Only to find she's smaller than we remember, and need a lot of repairs. After living overseas, I see that America is a box. A box I created because this is where I learned to follow the rules. Follow the rules to … Continue reading *shrug* America
I'm fascinated by the idea of HOME. After moving more times than my age, I'm searching for its meaning and its location.
Things you cannot possibly understand you will have to do when you start over in another country: Find things to sleep on and sit on. Find things to cook on, keep food in, and wash clothes with. Get these things to your home. Get these things connected/wired in. Learn to use these things that have … Continue reading What it’s like to start over in a new country
We left our home country two months ago. On the surface, we are adjusting well. Jobs, housing, and schooling are moving right along. We are part of a local church and have re-connected with family.To see our re-entry struggles, you have to go deeper. I think this is one of the reasons people say it … Continue reading Re-entry after 2 months
What is it like to have a baby in the NICU?
The following blog post was written in 2011, right after we left the USA and moved to our new home in the middle east. I found it in our old family blog. The words could have been written one month ago, as we left the country we called home. This is the part of our … Continue reading Saying good-bye
A real test of your belief system is living side-by-side with another. A few close mom-friends, who were practicing Muslims, had better Christian theology than me. This is how I learned that Islam and Christianity have several overlapping themes. Things I always thought I believed. But when I witnessed these sincere women REALLY living out these … Continue reading Islam made me a better Christian
A friend helped me realize before I left the middle east that I was returning to America FREE. Or, at least, much more free than before. Before, six years ago, I was such a different person. So imprisoned by my debt, my baggage, and my scars. Dragging all that around was just so...ugh. It's clear … Continue reading Freedom
