He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

I am feeling compelled to write a response to the recent news about the adjusted abortion law for New York.  It makes me physically ill to think about this happening.  It is not well with my soul at all.   Every day I read more thoughts and commentary on this issue, and the terms pro-life and pro-choice.  Every day I find myself in conversations about it with others and most of those conversations are with other women.  Women definitely have an investment in this topic.....and men should too.    Where should I even start?  Maybe I will start by looking at a couple of my own children in the other room.....children who society may have considered unplanned by their birth moms.  Children who could have been aborted fetuses.....one whose mama was in the abortion clinic at one point......I praise God they were not in New York that day.  I believe that God heard the cries of my heart in those seasons, where I knew we were being called to adopt and I was praying and praying and praying tha

Today I happened to pass by someone who has been one of my prayer partners.  We don't spend time together on a regular basis.....except in prayer.  I could hug her every time I see her because her faithful prayers have sustained me in some of my darkest and most lonely moments.  Another friend texted me a voice message recently.  She knew I was struggling and feeling very overwhelmed and she prayed for me.  She prayed scripture out loud to me......and it was life-giving.  I have some seriously intense and powerful prayer partners in this world.  I am humbled and grateful to do life with them.  I need my prayer life as much as I need water, rest and food.  I don't think I could make it through many of my days without the power of prayer.  Praying for others whenever God brings them to mind is part of my daily activities.  I live a prayerful life.  I go over the list in my mind of people I know who are struggling, or waiting, or suffering, or hoping, or celebrating....and

I highly recommend going on vacation after Christmas.  It was so wonderful to celebrate the Christmas season....and then get on a plane and fly away for a week and a half.  Many of you tolerated the photos I posted daily....which were a request from the grandparents left back home in Iowa.  They did help us get there.....so they deserved to be in on the travel-log.  While I was away my sweet friend Jen came back into our house and finished our entry way remodel project....and painted 2 more rooms and updated my furniture and walls and many, many other details....so I came home to a fresh and clean home.  I also highly recommend having really good friends....and a mom who will help them.  The unfortunate thing about going on vacation after Christmas is that you do lots of fun things and spend money.....and then, if you are 3 people out of 100,000 you might be lifting your carry- on into the overhead cabin of the airplane on the way home at 10am in Arizona and you might feel a pop and

Tonight we returned home from an epic family vacation.  We were gone about 11 days.  I posted lots of photos on Facebook in order to chronicle the trip, and to share with our family and loved ones back home.  We don't take vacations regularly.  Vacation is expensive and time-consuming.  This one was motivated by the Anniversary party for my parents-in-law.  Their 65th.  65th.  yes.  65 years married this year!  I didn't take my computer on vacation.  I rarely used my phone except to take pictures and I took a lot of pictures.  Every single day I was amazed that all of my family was together all day long.  That does not happen at home.  Claire is at college and doesn't live here.  Isaac and Jeremiah are in high school and busy with sports and school and friends.  The little kids are around but usually not doing anything I want to capture on camera....and Roger and I work a lot.  And cook.  And clean. And do the mundane work of living life.  We do it willingly and happily.