Lessons from a Long Year Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I haven’t written in this space for several months, so I thought I’d begin with a little life update… Not long after my last blog post—back in July—I was asked to take on some additional responsibilities at Moody Bible Institute. I am now serving… Read More #3: To Ask for Help Is Human
Lessons from a Long Year Fear is a familiar feeling for many of us. We may recognize it immediately when it taps us on the shoulder, squeezes our chest, punches us in the gut, slaps us in the face, or spins around inside our head. And certainly, sometimes, that fear is actually our friend. When… Read More #2: Look Fear in the Face and Call It by Name
Lessons from a Long Year On lengthy Worrall road trips, the fight for radio control is real. We usually feature worship music in the mornings. But sometime around our first bathroom break, the battle begins. Peter switches over to sports—especially since the Women’s World Cup is happening, and both England and the USA are doing… Read More #1: Love Is Hard, and…
Two weeks ago today, Peter and I read the last essays from our professorial piles. We posted our students’ final semester grades. And we officially completed what we would call one of the longest school years of our lives. If you know our recent journey at all, you understand why. Just a couple of days… Read More Lessons from a Long Year: A New Summer Series
One day over Christmas break, our family had a decision to make. A few months earlier, sometime in September (before Peter’s stroke), I had made a reservation for us to take a little trip down to Branson, Missouri—including a two-day stop in St. Louis to visit the City Museum on the way. The problem was,… Read More 6 Steps to Making a Wise Decision
Happy New Year, friends! How are you? Admittedly, it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve needed to spend the past couple of months focusing on getting our family through a difficult season of sudden health challenges and unexpected transitions. It’s been a lot to manage and to process. But—by the grace of God… Read More When God Is God: Our Story of a Stroke
We first met in a Beijing hotel—every one of us jet-lagged, but thrilled nonetheless to be making this long-anticipated trip. I remember our first meeting as if it were yesterday. On that morning in March of 2012, Peter and I took our seats in a circle with a dozen-or-so other couples and a few of… Read More A Glorious Reunion: Why We Keep Coming Back
Guest Post by Peter Worrall Last Saturday at 9:45 a.m., I was reeling in agony on Gary’s sofa. My stomach seized, and I felt nausea grow. I grabbed a throw pillow and squeezed it to my chest. I still had an hour to go of watching England in the World Cup quarterfinals. England’s Maguire had… Read More Why I Roar: In Support of the Three Lions
Guest post by Peter Worrall I am being pulled through green hedgerows backwards. I have a rear-facing seat on the 14:42 from Exeter St. David’s to Plymouth. The Devonshire hills, the trees, the shrubbery and the grass are well watered and verdant. Life flourishes here. I once flourished here. I’m a Devon boy come home for… Read More When We’re Torn Between Two Places
In America, we call it a “vacation”—those few weeks each year when we leave work and home behind. We “vacate” our regular routine and take up temporary residence in another locale. We sometimes escape to a peaceful place for rest and refreshment. We sometimes hurry off to an amusement park or a cruise ship, seeking… Read More How to Have a Happy Holiday