Amor Ministries has been organizing groups to build houses in Mexico for 30 years. Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church has been taking high school students and adults to build houses in Mexico during spring break for 25 years. Pastor Dave knows just how life-changing this experience can be - he has spent spring break building homes in Mexico since he … Continue reading Mexico: A Quick Glimpse
Tag: hope
Two Great Reads – Stargirl and Eleanor & Park
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli My rating: 5 of 5 stars I <3 Stargirl! I have read this book twice, aloud with each child at the right time. Stargirl is a gust of flowery-fresh spring air. She leaves change where she finds it, and drops more for those who might need it. She reads community bulletin … Continue reading Two Great Reads – Stargirl and Eleanor & Park
Gather
Some years ago I worked as a church receptionist. Lydia held a volunteer position that brought her to the office frequently. Unfortunately, Lydia was a true Grumpy Pants. Nothing pleased her and she was quick to let everyone know. I cringed inwardly when I saw her coming. She took all my patience and then some. Lydia also sat near me … Continue reading Gather
Hope of the World
Have you felt it, too, that rapid, sometimes painful limping toward this day? It's Christmas Eve. In my world that means Christmas has arrived. Traditionally, today we rest and enjoy togetherness. We make pine cone-peanut butter-birdseed ornaments; we take them to the local reservoir, where we walk the dogs, the kids, ourselves, for an hour, … Continue reading Hope of the World
Hope for Salvation
Tween outgrew his room. Three issues: increasing age and maturity; a sentimental-pack rat soul; and the furniture and layout just weren't working. The convertible crib-daybed-full bed frame cracked some time ago. The remaining headboard, unattached, banged against the wall each time he rolled over. The drawers for the coordinating changing table-dresser stuck. Both pieces were more than sixteen … Continue reading Hope for Salvation
Death and Hope for Life
We all four hopped in the car, heading to the store to buy Christmas gifts for our "adopted" little boys who live over the hill in a poor part of town. These littles, both under five years old, don't have families of their own to buy them gifts, a fact that broke Tween's heart so … Continue reading Death and Hope for Life
Hope Has Come
Hope. What is it, even? Does it make any difference? I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight... But hope is more than wishing. Hope is expectancy, pregnant with anticipated reality. Hope gives us strength to muster on, to slog through the daily reality, harsh as it some days may be. … Continue reading Hope Has Come
A Visit from the Goon Squad
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan My rating: 4 of 5 stars I put this book on my to-read list while reading Dani Shapiro's Still Writing - she mentions it more than once as a stellar piece of writing. Other than Shapiro's recommendation and having read Egan's The Keep some years back … Continue reading A Visit from the Goon Squad
Where do we place our hope?
I had a surprising and completely lovely conversation with Tween after Sunday school this morning. I asked him about the lesson, and he told me the story commonly called The Rich Young Ruler (found in Matthew 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-27): a man who has kept all the commandments asks Jesus what else he must do, … Continue reading Where do we place our hope?
Hope: to expect with confidence
We came home Friday evening to a clean and orderly house, which stayed that way for less than 24 hours. Many years ago we recognized the insanity of bringing more Stuff into our home for December and January birthdays with Christmas sandwiched between without first ridding our home of some of our outgrown Stuff. As we traveled … Continue reading Hope: to expect with confidence