It's been one week since the devastating shooting that shook our "small town city" along with the rest of the nation. I awoke 7 days ago to over a dozen messages from friends across the country and in the Dominican Republic. Their messages were all the same: "are you okay?" "Is your family okay?" "We … Continue reading One Week Later… #VegasStrong

photo source: http://www.annvoskamp.com Monday October 2. This date will always be a day that will likely take my breath away for some time to come. Not only was it the day of the largest mass casualty shooting to strike my hometown and affect so many friends and families I know, but it was also the … Continue reading An Anniversary I Never Wanted to Celebrate

It's Tuesday afternoon in Vegas. The sun is shining. The breeze is cool. Gauzy white clouds wisp all around the edges of the sky. An airplane flies high above and I only half notice the faint roar as it soars past. My kids are riding their bikes. Amelia in shorts and a belle t-shirt. Stella … Continue reading What’s on the horizon

It's been a long time since I've built an altar to the Lord, at least 10 years. The last time I remember significantly marking a time of remembrance this way was when I worked for South Hills in Las Vegas. We had just moved into our store-front property and had our first Sunday worship service. … Continue reading remembrance and altars

It's early morning here in the Dominican. There aren't many left of these for our family. We have 6 days left to soak up and enjoy what little time we have left in a country we love, with people who are the dearest to us. Emotions war within my mind today. My heart aches to … Continue reading At the end of a decade and new beginnings

It's been awhile since I've written anything on the blog. July was a mixture of sickness, a totally awesome road trip and finalized some big decisions for our family. Having fun in life, in our experiences, learning the art of laughter- lightening hard moments, and making hard but right decisions are all life decisions I … Continue reading Growing and Going…

A year ago today, I began a journey I wasn't planning for. I was planning for a new baby. I was celebrating with joy at what the Lord had done and the child he had began forming in me. July 2, 2016, just 10 days after arriving in the states for what I thought would … Continue reading A year later…

Living in a foreign land can be quite the challenge, but as I read scripture, I come to recognize, no matter where we are in this world, we are foreigners, aliens, not meant for this world. I can't stand that popular saying that came out a few years ago, #YOLO (you only live once). This … Continue reading foreign land living and a choice in how we live our lives.

I began a new blog as a way of healing, as a way of sharing, as a way of finding hope in transparency and in bringing truth forth in our journey. I found this post from 2014 on an old blog site I ran. So much hope, truth, and rejoicing for today! "The harder the … Continue reading A Choice to Rejoice