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Communion in Mismatched Plates

I loved Myquillyn’s recent post about the near-extinction of the drop-in visit because it conjured up memories of my greatest fear when we lived in Turkey: the drop-in visit. As a culture that...

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When You Don’t Want to Say Thanks

Giving thanks. Sometimes it’s hard to do when the holiday set aside for thanks-giving involves in-laws, slushy weather, disastrous kitchens, and crazy kids, not to mention those deeper extended family...

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The History Behind 5 Great Christmas Carols

  A few months ago, I wrote about some of the most-loved hymns in Church history and the back stories that made them the classics they remain today. I thought it’d be fun to do the same with a few...

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For When You’re Called to Work Diligently

I had wanted to write a book since sixth grade, when Mrs. Schwartz read my story in front of the whole class and told me I was a good writer. Her words were a drink to me, a salve. Even at age eleven,...

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Pedaling Your Bike In The Fast Lane

I moved to Kosovo when I was 23, then a province in the former Yugoslavia, and about two months later, I met my future husband‚ a bearded Oregonian who dreamed similar dreams about a life overseas. We...

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Why You Might Need A Blue Bike

Back when I was working on the concept of Notes From a Blue Bike, I was debating who the audience would be for this book. I’m a married mom in her 30s, so it’s easy for me to know what to say to...

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Sometimes Our Biggest Question Has an Easy Answer

You could say I’ve been neck-deep in Christianese for most of my life. I grew up in the church, and eventually became a professional Christian a la full-time ministry. I know my way backwards and...

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An Umbrella While You Wait

I‘m currently sitting in the passenger seat of our minivan. My family and I are heading to San Diego along the Pacific Coast Highway—picture sandy beaches, turquoise waves high-fiving craggy cliffs,...

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Daily Reflection Through an Ancient Tradition

I grew up in the evangelical mainstream church, in the south nonetheless. I know how to speak the language, stand or sit at the right parts, and I can sing the standard praise songs from the past...

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Faces over Facebook, People over Pixels

There’s a lot to love about the Internet. I’ve met some of my greatest friends online, you can learn more than is possible in one lifetime through online classes and blogs, and you can shop for...

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The Wild and the Small

For most of my childhood, I thought a dog and white picket fence were necessary for a happy life. That changed in my late teens, when I traveled overseas for the first time and my scales were lifted....

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The Faithful Lesson in Procrastination

My days and weeks the past few months have been spent book writing. I’ve got a deadline looming on the insanely close horizon, and like any good writer, I’ve spent far too much time procrastinating. I...

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Why the Ancient Practice of Advent Matters, Now More Than Ever

This is the first time in several years that I’m actually looking forward to the Christmas season. I know that’s not terribly “Christian” of me to say, but hear me out. Two years ago, for whatever...

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The Broken Organ of Silent Night

photo source I love the history behind beloved hymns. When I was standing in The Jerusalem Hotel lobby in Israel earlier this year, staring at the original copy of It Is Well With My Soul, scribbled...

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God Never, Ever, Ever Sleeps

Tuesdays are my busiest day of the week. I take my three children to their various schools (which, of course, all start at the same time), then I start the evening’s dinner in the slow cooker before...

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How the Boring Stuff Matters

When I first arrived in Turkey many moons ago to live our family’s new life, I was the mother of a two-year-old. A few months later, I became pregnant with our second-born. Two years later, I became...

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