By Tina Larson I have wasted an awful lot of ministry opportunities paralyzed by my insecurities. “God, You can’t use me… because I’m not relevant anymore to college students or young staff… because my world is taking care of little ones and running our home… because I don’t have time to listen to what is trending now, so I can’t relate to them… or because … Continue reading Insecurities
This week we will hear from two Mommy Missionaries about their experiences at STP last summer. First up is Caryn! Ben and I love STPs! We love the change of scenery, living close to staff and students, all the fun activities, and the personal growth we experience. Each summer we have attended our season of life has looked different from the previous summer. (Not dating…dating…married … Continue reading Navigating STPS…As a Mom
If you are a student in our ministry today you will hear the words “pornography” and “masturbation” used in a message. Likely you will hear multiple students testimonies regarding their walk to sexual freedom and you will definitely be invited more than once to join a group to help you find freedom from sexual sin and brokenness. Although I would say my collegiate Navs experience … Continue reading Our Journey through Pornography and How to Help Someone through this Struggle
For those who adopt, every journey is unique. I’ve met women who have dreamed since childhood about bringing home an orphan from overseas. For others, God uses adoption to complete a family already started with biological children. For me, the road to adoption was a long and painful one. It wasn’t something I had dreamed of since childhood. It took the laying down of one … Continue reading Adoption and Ministry
When we first started trying to get pregnant I kept it a secret. I had hoped it would happen easily and we would get to surprise everyone with our news. I also feared being on display if I wanted and waited for something that wasn’t happening. With the encouragement of my wise friend Melissa Nugent, I realized it didn’t make sense to hide such a … Continue reading Ministry and Infertility
I picked up this book Living With Less so your Family Has More from the library after seeing it referenced on a friend’s blog. I knew it was about living on less financially so that your family can have more- time together, and more shared experiences to highlight a few… As campus ministers we know our share of living on less as we rely on the Lord … Continue reading Ministry and Long-Term Illness
Fall launch approached with the mixed emotions it always brings. Our student leaders returned for our training weekend. The long days and nights of not seeing my husband had begun. I desperately wanted to stay connected to the ministry and supportive of my husband. Honestly, not for all the right reasons, some, but not all. I hustled three little boys into their shoes, once found, … Continue reading When Ministry Hurts
Recently a young, attractive woman was interacting with Tom at a public event. Aggressive ‘flirty’ signs exuded from her ostentatious and dabbling behavior… standing close to his face, extended eye contact, and the telltale (warning) touch of his arm as she threw her head back and laughed at something he said. During this uncomfortable exchange, I was standing right next to Tom… but, she made … Continue reading Pursuing and Protecting Oneness in Marriage
A couple years ago, Dave and I had a conversation about where we wanted to grow in our marriage. We had several things on the list: being more of a team with our kids, talking more often about schedule and finances, growing in intimacy, looking each other in the eyes more often, speaking affirming words to each other, etc. At the same time, we were … Continue reading Praying Together Never Worked for Us Until We Did This…
I loved coming home on furlough. And, I hated coming home on furlough. I loved being home and seeing friends. And, I hated seeing the stuff my friends had accumulated! It seemed that every friend I reunited with on furlough wanted to take me on a tour of their home. I loved to see what they owned. Their homes were so beautiful. But, something tugged … Continue reading The Stuff Gap: Contemplating Comparison
