three purple hearts

  COVID hit our house this week. Sean is on the mend, for which I am so thankful. Ean has tested negative, but hasn’t felt the best. He and I will both be testing before the weekend is out to find out where it has spread since I’m now symptomatic, as well. I don’t miss the days spent hiding from this. I don’t like remembering what the pneumonia felt like and being afraid it will come again this time. I hate COVID as much as I ever have. But I’m so thankful for all of the things that were learned throughout the pandemic. Crossing barriers, borders, miles, I got to sit in and listen to my amazing Momma present to a group of health and ministry professionals about trauma and trauma informed care in both settings tonight. I am beyond blessed to have been raised by Beverly Smith Bateman . It’s the primary way I have become who I am. (Like me or not, you have her to thank for a lot of it.) We dive into discomfort together, and I am so thankful to see a long history of growth behind and t...

I got to meet up with a new old friend recently. We sat and chatted for over an hour. We laughed and dreamed and hoped against hope. It was a desperately needed connection. These conversations, the little serendipities that speak to big love and abiding joy in the midst of struggle, feed my soul. Sitting in a thin space in the middle of a busy market, a piece of my heart that was broken in shameful community found healing in a loving one. And I am grateful. It’s freezing cold outside where we live. The next several days are bringing sub-zero temperature with wind chills low enough to cause frostbite in minutes. I’m staying inside as much as possible. And after a fall on the ice that jarred my aging bones earlier, I’m happy to do so. Tonight, I’m thankful for a warm house, a loving family, good jobs, health, healing, and balance. Stay warm, stay safe, love out loud! And if you, like I, need a safe space to connect and dream sometimes… don’t hesitate to reach out. I love you, friends.