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Floral Love
A new gift of creativity came with 2021’s mark of isolation. Inked florals poured out of my imagination, coming to life on paper through a soft blend of watercolor. This gift of God’s grace ministered life to me during a time of national upheaval. Ink and color became a needed respite during months of uncertainty and unrest. To my delight and amazement, these first six designs became the birth of creating blank notecards. This first set is entitled Floral Love. My heart has found joy through this gift of art, yet it is a great reminder of the love-gift that God so generously extends to all people, everywhere. For this…
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Choose To Trust
Choose to trust: When life disrupts your plans The call came as I was sitting in the hospital waiting room just moments prior to a medical procedure. “I’m sorry.” The nurse apologetically stated. “The doctor you will be seeing later today has had a family emergency, your appointment will need to be canceled and set for a later date.” A later date! Are you kidding me? I just drove 3 ½ hours for this appointment. Thankfully these words never left my mind. In most cases this cancellation would have been a simple glitch in my ordinary day or monthly schedule; but this disruption to my schedule came after hours on…
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Living Fully Present
Over the past few months I have been in transition. A bit of culture shock as I have left my home in the Philippines and have re-entered my passport country, the United States; for a much-needed sabbatical. I have never been very good at transitions. For some reason, even if I know they are coming and I think I have prepared for them, I still struggle. This transition has been no different. Transitions cause me a great deal of personal, inner reflection as I assess what I am leaving behind and begin to anticipate what I am yet to embrace or going towards. For several weeks now, I have…
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A Touch of Mercy for The Oppressed
Over the past seven years I have traveled to many local places throughout Manila, Philippines. Drawn to all things cultural and Filipino, I find delight in: a simple trike ride through local streets, a walk through the center of a neighboring Barangay, a trek along steep pathways where simple clapboard homes teeter precariously along cliff edges, a ride on a crowded unairconditioned train in which I am sandwiched shoulder to shoulder with the locals whom I have grown to love, a handkerchief covering my face from the polluted black belch of a jeep-nee I am riding in, the church that meets outside whose congregants greet me warmly with smiles that…
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Knowing God is Enough In The Hard Places of Life
God is Enough During a recent visit to Hong Kong my husband Joel and I attended an English-speaking Chinese church where two years prior we had spent a short season of ministry. As we walked through the church doors, we immediately felt welcomed by the love of this sweet assembly of Chinese believers. One particularly welcoming friend was Ruth. As I write this I can still hear the lilt of joy in her voice and feel the warm embrace of Ruth’s hug. It was this Sunday that I would begin to hear the beginning of Ruth’s story. Later I would email her and begin to connect-the-dots of a small part…
