To Sierra Leone

Here’s a riddle: what do hand sanitizer, GoGo SqueeZ applesauce, and Lorazapam all have in common?Answer: A jet engine.

  In the crazy adventure that is life, I’ve been graciously invited to visit Sierra Leone and meet John, the boy we’ve sponsored for many years.

I’ll be traveling on February 8th with my friend Angie, the Education Program Manager for World Hope International. In addition to meeting John and visiting his community and other kids in his school, I’ll get an up-close look at child sponsorship from the receiving side. And I’ll be sharing the stories with you.

  I am all kinds of feelings about this opportunity.

Eager to meet John. I still picture kneeling to say hello to the shy, 3rd grader grin we first saw in a photo of him. In reality, I’ll probably be looking up to a high schooler, and trying to decide if a hug will embarrass him. (I’m guessing I’ll go for it anyway.)

Honored to be trusted with the stories of John and his community.

  Prayerful that I will be able to share their stories authentically, with dignity and respect.

  Teary at the thought of missing my girls and them missing me.

  Thankful for an opportunity to model taking action on the many prayers and conversations we have in our home about joining together with our global neighbors, learning from their stories, and using the gifts God has given us to support, empower, seek justice, and spread hope.

  Loved and full of love for my husband, who has listened to my ideas and dreams for more than a decade, and when a big opportunity arises says, “You should!” without hesitation, even when it means he has to carry extra weight at home for a week.

  Enthused to learn the details and absorb the testimonies of how child sponsorship is working, and to pass stories on to you so we can all be more informed and inspired to take action, to partner with these communities and kids.

  Full of anticipation to walk the streets and experience the sights and sounds and flavors of Seirra Leone.

  And fill in the blank with any antonym of “eager” for my feelings about the plane ride. (Oh, NOW you get the riddle?? Hey, riddle-writing isn’t as easy as it looks, folks.)

I’m really looking forward to sharing this whole experience with you; to give you a virtual tour of Seirra Leone, introduce you to some incredible people, and present you with real stories and real opportunities to be involved. There is a place for you in this story! For now, you can follow me on Instagram to see live posts of the trip, keep an eye on the blog for updates, and check out World Hope International to see more of the great work they’re doing (and follow them on the Insta too!).

Motherhood Highs and Lows-Shake the Dust!

Most days when I pick Cypress up from school, after a few exchanges about the day we’ll talk about our “highs and lows”. I’ll ask about hers first, sometimes switching up the wording to “What made you laugh today?” or, “What was the worst moment of your day?” At times I feel some varied wording will help stir up fresh content when the high has been “I got to have recess” all week, and the lowest moment she can come up with is “at story time my arm itched” or, “my friend Alayna was really tired today”.

As amusing as first grade highs and lows can be, our little conversations have me thinking about some of my own, and I’ve concluded that mothers could dominate the high and low game. I don’t have any scientific evidence, but I’m 99 percent sure there is no other demographic so regularly exposed to such extremely heartwarming highs and calamitous lows within the same day, same hour, and sometimes the very same minute.

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I’m thinking a collective swap of highs and lows would be a great activity. I have a little writing project I’m working on, and I’d love (aka NEED) your participation in this. Here’s your opportunity to pass on the hysterical predicaments you and/or your kids have found themselves in, the crazy words that have been said by toddler (and parent), the sweetest moments that you never want to forget, and the frightening, horrific, and truly bizarre happenings that make you stop, shake your head, and audibly ask the dog, “What the HECK is this? What did they do with my life??”

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If you’re not a mom but have a good story from your mother or sister or friend, share it! Share individual moments. It doesn’t have to be a high and low from the same situation or even the same day, and if you have three highs to share and only one low, that’s fine too. Like Freeze Tag or Candyland or Chess, there really are no hard and fast rules to this game. The main rule is: don't over think it!

I’ll collect the stories of our highs and lows and assemble them for us all to read and laugh and eye roll and tear up over together. If your story is shared, your name will be in the credits but no revealing details will be displayed.

Consider this a way to shake the dust off motherhood. When we share our stories and laugh at the absurdities and smile at the preciousness, I think it helps us shake the dust of the mundane and frustration and shame and embarrassment that so often settles.

Before I go, here is a high and low from my list:

High: After a massive melt down that included, but was not limited to, stomping, kicking the floor, wailing, and shrieking over the utter difficulty of getting PJ’s on one night, said child finally appeared pajama clad, and said through intermittent sniffing, “See? I CAN do hard (hiccup) things.”

Low: Giving the kids a bedtime snack that was just late enough to cause my patience battery to die mid way through. I looked over to see things getting messy on one child’s plate and announced: “If I see you put your hands in your hummus again, I’ll eat all your food and send you straight to bed!” There was some shuffling in the kitchen where my younger siblings and Dave were eating their snacks. I overheard muffled snorting and choking as my husband quietly sang, “She’s a vile one, Mrs. Grinch.”

So, what are your motherhood highs and lows? Share your stories and shake the dust!

You can share in the comments, message me on facebook, or send me an email. I can't wait to hear from you!