I never intended to share Jude’s birth story publicly on the internet. I began writing this for myself as a way to remember and honor how our little boy came into the world. It’s incredible how quickly we forget the details. But after several friends (mostly women, of course) asked for the story, I decided to open it up for everyone (censoring out some of the “gory” details)…
Read MoreNavigating my current season of life, feeling the weight of the pandemic, and watching tragic events unfold around the world, has all made me hesitant to show up here. Most days I feel as though I have nothing to offer anyone else in this season…
Read MoreIn the first chapter the reader is introduced to a man named John (not the author, but a Baptist). John the Baptist, (Jesus’ cousin) is out in the wilderness telling people about “The Christ” who is described as the “word”, “life”, and “light” for all mankind…
Read MoreWe made it! We moved all of our things and ourselves to Nashville, Tennessee this week. Admittedly, my life has been a bit of a mess - which hasn’t left a lot of space for dealing with things outside of me … things I have no control over…
Read MoreWe know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 …. Throughout 2020 I heard the Christian community (myself included) reference the above verse…
Shay, Gatsby, and I are moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 10 days. I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about this. I wanted the title of this blog post to be “New Year, New Zip Code” where I would excitedly share about our Nashville story and how we decided to leave Chicago. It’s been a three year journey, full of little details and a few plot twists …
Read MoreThis past year, I read a lot of books - some for fun, and some for the purpose of learning and growth. I went into 2020 with a list of books I wanted to read… yet, none of them stand out as “Top 5.” Each of the books listed below fell into my lap at the right moment, when I needed it, and when the Spirit was sure to do the most work in me. Whatever you’re in search of, I hope this list can be a resource for you…
Read MoreIf you're like me, the month of December is usually a time of looking back and reflecting on the year. I usually pull out my journal, look at whatever goals I set nearly 12 months ago, and then hope and dream about the coming year.
Read MoreLife is beautiful, and messy. We can’t experience joy without also experiencing suffering.
Suffering is defined as “the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship”. There is a laundry list of life experiences that fall under this umbrella - which can range from physical pain to mental stress. No one has a monopoly on suffering, and at the same time none of us are exempt . . .
Read MoreA few weeks ago I attended a candlelight rooftop concert in the West Loop. The audience was masked-up, 6-feet apart, outside listening to LIVE music. I didn’t realize how much I missed live music until it was happening.
Read MoreIt always surprises me how at the age of 18 we’re expected to know what we want to do for a living. This may not be true for everyone, but it’s definitely true in the world of engineering. My degree doesn’t leave me much wiggle room…
Read MoreIn the early morning of March 6th, I left Chicago headed for Cambodia. With two small suitcases in-hand, I had every expectation of living in Phnom Penh for a full three months. . .
Read More2019 was an interesting year. I couldn’t tell you 12 months ago what I was about to walk into. Maybe that’s most years, but this one in particular felt especially unpredictable. Usually I can look out on the horizon and have a pixelated idea of what’s ahead. I can’t make out exactly what it is, but as time goes on, it slowly starts to take shape. It’ll become more and more clear until it’s right in front of me and I think “Oh yea, that makes sense”... but that wasn’t the case this year…
Read MoreI’ve been involved with EMI for about 4 years. EMI is a non-profit development organization made up of architects, engineers, surveyors, and construction managers who use their skills to serve the least reached world. I went on my first project trip to Honduras in 2016, my second trip to Guatemala in 2018, and over the last year I have served as the leader for the Chicago EMI Network …
Read MoreI have a complicated relationship with the Bible. I know I’m not alone in this, but every so often I believe the lie that everyone else reading the Bible is confidently and appropriately using it to guide their lives. And then there’s me, holding it open with a ton of questions…
Read MoreIt’s been 3.5 months since I’ve posted anything on my blog. I believe that’s the longest I’ve gone without publicly writing in a couple of years. I say “publicly”, because I’ve been writing a lot, just in private. I’ve filled my journal with countless pages, and truly haven’t felt the nudge to share any of it until recently. I usually don’t shy away from vulnerability on the internet, even when in the middle of something. Most things in life can’t be neatly packaged together in a perfectly written blog post. But for some reason, I’ve been holding back…
Read MoreIt’s been a solid two months since I felt the urge to write. In my last blog post, I wrote about my 2019 word for the year - rest. I can honestly say the word “rest” has been deeply pressed on my heart and affirmed over and over again these last two months. One of the ways I feel called to rest this year is by figuring out what it looks like for me to honor the Sabbath. This last week, I finally felt a nudge to write and share about how it’s been going, where I’m currently at, and what I’ve learned so far…
Read MoreI remember writing this blog post the week after I got back from Guatemala. I was certain I had at least two more posts in me, and that I’d be sharing more about the experience in no time! It’s funny how life happens and time gets away from us…
In mid-July, EMI staff had completed their review of the plans, calculations and report. At that point, I agreed to give a lunch-time presentation about the project trip at my office. I finally gave that presentation two weeks ago (it went really well BTW)! And now, here we are, six months later… and I’m finallllly sharing more about this experience with family and friends. Phew! Six months, how did that happen?!
Read MoreI returned from Guatemala over a week ago and I still haven’t been able to put into clear, blog-worthy words what that experience has meant to me. I spent most of my flight back rotating between (1) crying, looking out the tiny airplane window and (2) sporadically documenting every thought and feeling I was having while it was still fresh in my mind. I raised some concern for the flight attendants, I’m sure...
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