I’ve been inspired by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson’s thoughts on faith and mentoring for a while now–and am so honored to have had her join me for a week on mentoring at SheLoves. She graciously agreed to share some more about her journey towards mentoring with us here. I’m convinced that our journeys towards each other–intentional, brave, …
The Hospitality of Greetings
The instructions for passing the peace are pretty clear—and even written in the bulletin: un saludo cordial, mirando a los ojos. Which means, “a cordial greeting, looking into each others eyes.” My first time at the Spanish-language service at my church, I thought I understood those instructions. I stood up and shook hands with the …
A simple, easy, life-changing invitation
By the very first hour of his invitation, Topo had already changed my life. And I didn’t even know his last name. It started on Palm Sunday. At the Presbyterian church I’d been attending for a few months in Buenos Aires, Topo stopped me outside the sanctuary. I had no idea who he was, but …
The everyday dance of belonging
I struggle to belong to other believers. I noticed this fiercely the other day. I felt God calling me to fast for a day, a spiritual discipline I usually flee from. I found myself wanting to keep that calling a secret. Then I realized my husband might notice me skipping meals. When I told him, …
What I want from the church: the impossible
I want the entire church to look down at its body and realize that large parts of it are missing. I want the church to cry out in anguish as it realizes its chronic, degenerative disease: the tender parts that were dishonored, cut off, ignored, mistreated. I want it to start caring—now! for the parts …
Laying Down My Right to Be Welcomed
The church had a gigantic oak in its courtyard; I watched our children collecting acorns underneath with some of the kids from their Sunday school class. Little knots of people dotted the patio; people moved from one group to another, kissing cheeks, tousling kids’ hair, talking about the service, Sunday school, and the family asados …
The unsettling, empowering and surprising journey to community: One Woman’s Yes with Osheta Moore
I was lucky enough to stumble upon Osheta Moore’s blog right about the time she started blogging about finding her tribe. I especially loved this little gem on the diversity and unity in the body of Christ as discovered in an apple orchard. I wanted to talk to her about two big yeses in her …
Happy Thanksaction Day
In Spanish, “Thanksgiving” is literally Thanksaction: Acción de gracias. I like how spirited that sounds. And today, I’m asking you to truly celebrate una acción de gracias. Please, contact your local Congressional representative, and ask them to do what they can to bring immigration reform to the House floor. Please. I attended Spanish-language church …
Welcome Is More than Words
From the archives. When it was time to end a phone call, I knew what was coming. “Un beso grande,” whoever I was talking to would say. “A big kiss.” It would roll off their tongue like See ya or bye. I would follow suit, a little more awkwardly. “Un beso. Nos vemos.” *** I …
Edging towards the margins one blog post at a time
I read Christena Cleveland’s call to read blogs by people of color with a surge of chutzpah. “Absolutely,” I said to myself. “I just didn’t know where the people of color were blogging. I will get right on this.” Later that day, I added the twenty-odd bloggers to my feed reader. I felt proud. I …
In the empty spaces
Before we left for a six-month sabbatical in Buenos Aires, everyone agreed on one thing. “Kids are resilient,” everyone said. “Throw them with Argentine kids for five minutes and they’ll playing together. Your kids will be fine.” And my kids were fine, and they are resilient. But did my kids dive into a new culture without any hesitation, …
White and clueless about race? Here’s the secret to changing that. Well, the clueless part.
Do you ever feel guilty about how homogenous your friends are? Do you avoid multicultural situations or conversations about race and ethnicity because you’re terrified of making a mistake? Do you wish you knew how to get over yourself and follow Christ’s lead as a reconciler? I’m learning a ton from Christena Cleveland’s wise posts on …
White and clueless about race? Here’s the secret to changing that. Well, the clueless part.Read More
Finding Creativity in Community
When I was a new mom, a friend said something I’ve been mulling over ever since. “People over projects,” she said. We are both writers; she was speaking about finding work/life balance in the midst of the parenting storm. Projects were important, sure. Projects were great. But people needed to come first. I nodded. There in …
People ask me how Argentina was. I have a hard time answering.
People keep asking me how our family’s six months in Argentina were. I have a hard time answering. There’s the sexy part: I prayed in an Ecuadorian church, rode horses in the Argentine countryside, and once carried 10,000 pesos stashed in my boot. But I also washed dishes, tried to find palatable soy milk, and fretted …
People ask me how Argentina was. I have a hard time answering.Read More
When You’re Afraid of Being Needy
During his year abroad, my friend Terence was descending stairs in one of the busiest subway stations in Japan. He stumbled and fell. He told me he tumbled like you’d imagine a cartoon character falling down stairs: spinning and bouncing down two long flights before he reached bottom. He lay like a tangled marionette there, …
The most powerful culture in the world
One thing I notice about being abroad is the powerful pull American culture has around the world. People know the names of our states (quick! name a province in Argentina! Or more than one in Canada!) they know our movie actors, our television shows. They buy our technology, they translate our books, they learn our …
I release you
I know this will shock you. Sometimes people disappoint me. I know, I know, obvious. But if it’s so obvious, why is it so hard to deal with? One of my biggest Achilles heels is an abundance of high expectations. Not just with myself, but with those around me. And sometimes, when others don’t meet my …
The love I have is enough
It’s called Plaza de Bolivia, a wedge-shaped expanse of green with two fenced playgrounds, a carousel, and plenty of sunbathing city-dwellers. It’s sandwiched in-between a busy train track and Avenida del Libertador, an eight-lane boulevard filled with taxis and buses. The high-rises along the Avenida are a mountain blocking the sun. And in the middle of it all, …
Why we should bother with the third world
My family and I spent six months in Argentina in 2013. Here’s a vintage post about what we can learn from countries off the beaten (first world) path. Why bother going to the third world? If a country isn’t famous for anything but revolutionaries or poverty, is it worth the trip? Before I answer this question, …
This is urgent: Find your tribe—patiently
I didn’t really have a chance of success as a writer until about five years ago. That’s when a friend of mine asked me and a few other moms if we wanted to form a writer’s group. These women have become my tribe. When I joined them, I had a one-year-old, and I wasn’t sure …