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

 Sunday, May 9, 2021 was Mother's Day this year.  I woke up to a beautiful text from my firstborn, who was on her honeymoon and not here for the first time ever.  She blesses me so much....with her words, with her life, with all that she is.  Thanks Claire Barbara.  I love you so much.  Isaac moved back from the dorms late in the week so he was here to until he moves into a summer rental to practice independence and responsibility.....and we all went to church.  We had lunch reservations to eat out so no cooking for this mama....woot woot!  After our meal we went to get some flowers and plants.  We had purchased and painted terra cotta pots on Saturday and they were ready for filling....spring is rather grand.   While we were filling the pots Josiah took a tumble on his roller blades and came in crying.  We don't have great history with sunday afternoons and fractured arms....I loaded him up with motrin and an ice pack and put ...

 We have sent or hand-delivered flowers to my mom, step-mom and mother-in-law....in honor of Mother's Day tomorrow.  I received hand-made gifts, flowers and actual store-bought gifts from my children for Mothers Day this weekend....I even drove in the rain to a greenery and bought myself a flowering pot....all in the name of mothering.        This can be a hard day for those who have lost their mothers, those who long to be mothers, and for those who chose to place their child in the arms of another mother.....I am holding space for all of you.  I am keeping you all in mind and lifting you up in prayer to the God who knows and who comforts and who gives beauty from ashes......      Mothering is serious business.....it is beautiful and magical and tragic and overwhelming....it is mundane and exhausting and exceptional and unique.....it is situational and it is global.... Mothering is wiping a runny nose and kissing a bride before she...

 April is Child Abuse Prevention month.  It has been Child Abuse Prevention month as long as I can remember.  This is something that is very important to me, and a big chunk of what I do professionally and personally.....strive to prevent child abuse.   Children deserve to be safe, healthy and loved.  They deserve to be in relationships with caring adults who are supportive and who strive to make their lives good.  Sometimes this looks like foster care and/or adoption.  Sometimes it looks like education, sports, dance, tumbling, lego club at the library, Spanish club after school and so much more.  Sometimes it looks like teaching parents of kids birth to three how to care for their kiddos in ways that build trust and secure attachment instead of fear and isolation and independence.....child abuse prevention looks like so many things.   Child abuse prevention may be me noticing the kids that walk by my house to and from school every...

 Today I drove over to a local coffee shop to meet a friend for lunch.  She's a special friend, that pours herself out in ministry to help all children know Jesus, through adoption, through orphan care, through support and foster care....she works full-time in this ministry without pay and has dedicated her life to this work.  I wish we could have lunch every week but we do seem to manage a few times each year to get together.  It's been raining and cold in northwest Iowa these last days.  Spring is like that here.  I pulled into a parking spot and before I got out of my car, I saw this bird.  It was a robin and it was swollen and looked ready to lay eggs.  It was likely working on a nest for the eggs and stopped in a tree for a rest and a break from the rain and cold.....it was so close to me.....and it was nestled in the branches of a beautiful little tree with fresh spring buds just begging for some sunshine to burst open.  Everthing about...

 April 6 is a holiday at our house.  Every year with few exceptions, over the past 27 years, we have eaten Chinese food on April 6.  We do this to remember that 27 years ago Roger asked me out on our first date and it was a Wednesday because I worked weekends waitressing and bar-tending, paying my way through nursing school.  I was super nervous for this date because Roger was a nice guy and I didn't want to screw it up.  I skipped classes that afternoon and raided my mom's closet because her clothes were nicer.  I wore a salmon colored blazer because it was the mid-90s and that was stylish....and he likely thought I had really good taste in clothes that day.  Later he would learn that I wore more long flowy skirts and t-shirts and sandles but whatever, I wanted to make a good impression.   We drove to Sioux City and ate at a nice chinese restaraunt and we talked and laughed and I just kind of knew that it mattered.  The next year on Apr...

 This world is not our home.  That is why Jesus went to the cross, battled Satan, waged war for our souls so that we can be called home to him....and that our days here can be more than meaningless, selfish mass taking up space.  This world is not our home.  We are a bit displaced here.....living in the world but not of the world....doing our best and falling short until we get to Heaven and there will be no more struggling, no more hardship....no more suffering.   XK came home today after being at a respite foster home for 4 days.  When I went to get him they were playing outside and he was flushed and sweaty...and he strapped into the carseat and said "I'm sad mom.  I didn't want to leave".  I get that buddy.  You were having fun.  I'm glad you were having fun with them.  I knew you would.   We got home and unpacked his stuff and within 10 minutes he said...."Its good to be home again, mom.  I missed you" ...

 For Christians, today is Good Friday.  It begs the questions, "What's so good about it?"  It is the day of Jesus death.  It was a horrible death reserved for the worst of criminals and yet Jesus never sinned.  Ever.  He never did a single thing wrong.....which is why we call him the Lamb of God....the perfect sacrifice to take the place of our sins.....but thinking about that doesn't feel so good to me.  It feels sad and frustrating and tragic.  There was no other way for us to get to God because a perfect love cannot share space with so much sin.....and so that's it.  Love had to come to us and make a way for us to get back to Love..... Here is what makes Good Friday good for me.  That dirty devil probably thought he won on Good Friday.  Jesus had died.  He didn't rescue his people right then or declare his kingship over all...and I'm guessing that stinking, lying, cheating, rotton devil thought he had it in the bag.  Th...