As we were packing up to move to Nashville in 2009 to start a Nav ministry at Vanderbilt University, a friend counseled me to be prepared that moves can be hard. At the time I thought, we are going to be just fine. We did undergrad in Nashville, two of my bridesmaids are there, we’re familiar with it… this is going to be a FUN … Continue reading Clinging to God through a Difficult Move
The first time we moved from one campus to another as a family our kids were 2 months and 2 years old. I don’t remember much from that year but I do remember preparing for that move and all the ways God provided. 1. Pray Big! For several months I prayed for God to sell our house before our second baby arrived. I learned from my … Continue reading 3 Tips on Moving with Kids
Christmas morning Dave and I were going for a walk, and I shared: I feel like we have turned a corner with our youngest being three. No more diapers, no more stroller– I just carry a purse around now. For the first time in 9 years, I am getting a full night of sleep every night. I feel like I’ve finally figured out a great … Continue reading Trusting God with the Unexpected
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
Somewhere in the mid-seventies, Bill and I attended our first staff conference. It was a big deal. We lived in Illinois, the conference at Glen Eyrie. I assume we drove (I can’t imagine having money for plane tickets back then). I was young and a new mom. I remember where she and I were standing in the Castle. I remember the conversation as if it … Continue reading Ready or Not, Staff Conference is Coming
Fundraising Series Have you ever noticed whenever you take a big step in faith, the “testing” comes after you make that step? This past year, the “testing” for us came partly in the form of our support.Every time we have moved we have lost donors and gained new ones. We expected the same when we moved to CO two years ago. But … Continue reading Heart Lessons from Funding Deficit
As mommy missionaries it is easy to compare what we used to be able to do on campus with our new limited availability. We might even be tempted to think that our work on campus was real ministry and therefore what we do at home all day is not. Sometimes we can believe we have to wait until our hands are free of little … Continue reading Seeing the Eternal in the Temporary
Jeff and I staffed several STPs as a young married couple, but my first one as a mom was a whole new experience. In May of 2005 we loaded up our minivan with half our house, our one-year-old son and drove from WI to CO to staff the National Collegiate Program (before it became Global Student Program). I loved being a mom and having Gabe … Continue reading What God Taught me at my first STP as a Mom
