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Latest from the Greenhouse
Lessons learned from an international move
Last week our friends, the Steenpkamps, had a garage sale. They are moving to South Africa next month, so it’s time to get rid of things. Lots of things. Coffee cups, couches, crib Tissue paper, toilet plunger, TV Baby toys, baby books, baby bottles Shoes, shirts,...
How to pray by paying attention
Sometimes I think we have the attention span of a toddler when it comes to paying attention to our heavenly Father. When my kids were little I felt like I was telling them to pay attention all the time. “Pay attention when I’m talking to you.” “Pay attention when you...
How to teach your kid to be a good quitter, Part II — 3 ways to quit well
I know you don’t want your kid to be a “quitter”. Me neither. But at sometime, our kids will face the tough decision, “To quit, or not to quit.” Maybe it’s soccer, football or volleyball. Or it could be the baritone, ballet, or eating chocolate chips out of the Nestle...
How to teach your kid to be a good quitter – Part I
This week my son threw me a curveball—even though I'm the one known for doing that in our family. A year ago at this time Lucas had already done months of off-season conditioning and weeks of preseason before the high school district soccer games began in mid-January....
Does God think that I talk too much?
Does God think that I talk too much? Would He think that about you? I admit that I like to talk. And since “prayer is talking to God”—atleast that’s what I’ve heard since I was a kid, I like to pray too. If I have a worry, I talk to God. If I’m stuck in a crisis, I...
New Beginnings, A Venezuelan New Year’s Eve
Yellow underwear. Twelve grapes. A run around the block with the suitcase in tow. Venezuelans know how to celebrate, and when it’s New Year’s Eve, they do it better than anyone. Everyone wears their best for the occasion—including new yellow underwear for the...
A Protestant’s confession – Mary is my hero, 4 reasons why
I know this season is all about Jesus. But I have a confession. When I look at the nativity scene with baby Jesus swaddled in a manger, I can’t help but see Mary kneeling beside him. And I admire her. Don’t worry. I don’t worship her. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. But...
5 things a hobbit can teach you about missionaries
Hobbits are on my mind this week. And believe it or not, Bilbo and Frodo--a couple of unassuming hobbits--can teach you something about a missionary. Let me indulge you in some rich quotes by JRR Tolkien from The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. As a missionary,...
A different kind of story–vocational missionaries
Bryen and Karen Willems—their life story doesn’t follow the typical script you would expect. He got a degree in accounting and she received her masters in entomology from LSU. The twist in their plot happened when they moved to Australia as vocational missionaries...