I left the soft-hand life behind last year. On deadlift days, chalk mixes with sweat filling the ridges of my hardened callouses. Pulling 280lbs off the floor requires hands that can handle the pressure. Hands harden in response to training. Callouses help protect our hands […]
Tag: spiritual journey
Abba, Father.
I hand my passport to the agent, who kindly asks me to lower my mask as he examines my documents. “Welcome, Mama!” the warmth of his greeting takes me by surprise.
God’s Word Is…
God’s Word is ________. How did your mind fill in the blank? God’s Word is true? Reliable? A fairy tale? Our answer impacts our faith. In the early stages of our missionary work in Russia, I saw the miraculous hand of God in each challenge. […]
Chosen, Royal, Holy, Peculiar
Chosen. Royal. Holy. Peculiar. What do these four words have in common? Each term describes us as believers. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. And we are a peculiar people. As I read 1 Peter 2:9 in various translations, […]
What Makes You Laugh?
There is paint on the dog’s head, a tarantula fell on my pillow, and at 9 pm, it’s 80 degrees outside. Just another day in paradise! What makes you laugh? Each item on my list is enough to derail my focus, but this humorous combination […]
Are We There Yet?
My fitness watch is rude. Somedays, it interrupts as I take a break between sets to ask, “Finished your workout?” Today when it happened, it was like a child on a road trip asking, “Are we there yet?” The notification comes with three choices; END […]
Brace. Sink. Drive.
Brace. Sink. Drive. Each time I squat, these action cues run through my mind. A cue is a simple reminder to direct our attention to a specific aspect of our technique. As I come underneath the bar, before I unrack it, I tell myself, “much […]
Life Always Finds a Way to Thrive
The past two years have brought many chains into our daily lives. We’ve had to change the way we travel and move about outside. It’s impacted how we train in the gym and what types of activities we can participate in. As I thought about […]
Where Should We Show Up?
It was his unbridled tilted-head-backward laughter that did me in. He searched the surveillance camera to see if the items I’d paid for made it into the bag. The video clearly showed that they did. After he finished laughing at me, I questioned him again, […]
Four Days and Three Nights
We made reservations and paid in advance for our stay. We eagerly counted down the days until the appointed check-in time. Upon our arrival, we receive a warm welcome. Four days and three nights, carved out for our 40th anniversary get-away. Standing on the seashore […]