Emma and I have been singing Christmas carols in the car. Her chronic lyricosis is so funny to me. I am reminded about not understanding the words to many Christmas carols when I was little, too. Seriously, what does "in-egg-shell-she-day-o" actually mean, anyway? My current favorite Emma-rewording is: Jingle bell, bells, jingle all the way. So much fun it is a ride in one for flowin' sleigh Jingle bell, jingle bells, So much fun it is a ride in one for flowin' sleigh. Or better yet; Silent Night, Holy Night All is calm, all is bright. Round, yawn, virgin, Mother and Child Holy infant, so tender and WILD. Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. But sometimes, we change it too. We change Christmas to something so silly and confetti-ish; throw a party, decorate a tree and give a gift. It's all so fun and heart warming. But that night wasn't heart warming. The world wasn't warming and lovely. The people needed help. They'd go...

It all began with a car rental. Gil had to get one for a ministry trip he had scheduled. He picked it up Friday afternoon because he needed it Monday morning and you can't pick up rentals over the weekend. We always reserve the compact cars since they are the cheapest to rent and best on gas. But when he went to pick it up at his scheduled time, they had already rented all the smallest cars. There was one car left in the lot and they had to give it to him...a Chrysler 300M with leather, heated seats, on board computer, rear view reserve camera and a stereo system that actually allowed us to hear all the words clearly. You see....we drive a minivan. I love my minivan, I truly do. Here's when the BUT comes in- it's ten years old, the front windows don't go up and down reliably, it's encrusted with kid crud and we are currently refilling the power steering fluid weekly because of a *little* leak. It's like the best pair of jeans.... It's my favorite car and...

365 days ago we began a new chapter in our lives. We moved 609 miles away to a place completely unfamiliar. We knew things would change, but we were unsure how. We didn’t have an address to move to, but I was sure God still knew where we were.  It’s been an awesome year.  It’s been the toughest year.  I have had so much fun exploring, meeting new people and sharing about why we are here. But I have also faced feelings of loneliness, doubt, concern, and sadness.  You know I like lists, so here goes. Ignore the superficial parts of this list. I thought about not including them, but decided to keep them all because it’s me.  Positives: When shopping or enrolling online, I no longer have to scroll to the lowest part of the alphabetical states lists to find Virginia....Connecticut is so much closer to the top. I have saved a whopping total of 3 seconds over the course of the year this way.  I live in the brick house I never knew I wanted....

It's the 4th of July. What better way than to celebrate the 4th than with a parade, right? Let's mix the excitement of an Independence Day parade with the uniqueness of this small town in New England and see what happens.  See if you can spot anything out of the ordinary.... My parade crew is ready for the experience. The ladies behind my family are part of the band. The local balloon people are there. The lady on the right, yep...she's also a part of the band.  This guy isn't a part of the parade, but at the same time, he is. He is part of the band.  Prior to taking this picture, I'd never noticed how cute some of our Main Street buildings are! Loads of band members here...all ready and waiting for the action to begin.  And, we're off.  Cute hat, my dear.  Parade Mama, whomever that may be, made this fun banner. See, the guy in the tie-die? He is a HUGE part of the band.  See?  The parade had all t...

Today I've had the great honor of guest blogging for my dear friend, Chris. She's written for me before and now I get to repay her the favor. You can check it out on her blog,  This is the Life . Don't forget to sign up (just over there, to the right and down a bit) to become a follower of my blog. You can also leave a comment anytime you wish...I would LOVE to hear from you!

Hi there! I am reposting what I shared on my other blog in case some of you didn't see it! Two days ago I began a journey- a 52 week journey of spiritual formation. I am walking this journey with a new friend and together we will discuss a variety of topics- everything   from mapping our life’s journey to our personal theologies of time and our honest relationship with the Bible.  I will be sharing my thoughts about this journey, called The 7th Year, with you as I go. I hope you’ll cheer me on during the weeks it get’s tough...and maybe begin the journey yourself.  The 7th Year , written and hosted by Alicia Britt Chole, is an e-journey. Each week I get an email with a some thought provoking material and a guided discussion/activity. My friend and I will discuss our thoughts on the weekly email- in person and electronically...whichever suits our week the best.  I was intrigued by the title- The 7th Year. Chole writes that  ...

Have you ever heard, sung, watched, experienced something that you’ve done dozens, maybe hundreds, of times before, but for some reason, it suddenly became drastically different? It happened to me... A few months before our big move, I was singing a song I’ve sung for years... So faithful. So constant.  So loving and so true. So powerful in all You do. You fill me. You see me.  You know my every move and You love for me to sing to You. I know that You are for me.  I know that You are for me. I know that You will never,  forsake me in my weaknesses. ~You Are For Me, by Kari Jobe For some (obvious) reason, the line “you know my every move” struck me so differently. I had always thought this line was a paraphrase of Psalm 139:2....”you know when I sit, you know when I rise...”, and it is, undoubtedly. But my thoughts instantly connected to God’s knowledge of my daily habits to his awareness of our upcoming move . I know it sounds ...