Simply Trusting

Saying goodbye is challenging. It can be painful and carries with it a sense of loss that can lead one to wonder if feeling whole again is possible. Some goodbyes are harder than others. When I left Germany four years ago, saying goodbye felt different than I wanted it to because of covid restrictions. Saying goodbye to places simply wasn’t possible in the same way as it had been. Restaurants were closed and crossing borders was complicated.  Letting go was hard because it seemed like closure wasn’t possible, at least not in the way I wanted it. In my community at BFA, a lot of emphasis was placed on having a final coffee or going on one last walk with a friend in order to prevent simply disappearing or not saying things that needed to be said. I encouraged students and staff to take advantage of these opportunities, and I stand by those admonitions. However, when I think about the people and places I left behind, what comes to mind is not that final goodbye. Some of those moments ...

    It’s been a while! This summer marks three years of living life and seeking normal in the United States. I haven’t figured it out. But I have realized that writing helps, so I’m going to do more of that. Putting my thoughts here sometimes feels like I’m writing to a void, but if you’re a human and you’re reading this, I'm grateful. I'm just looking for a place for my thoughts to belong. I’m working on a new title, too, so stay tuned.      Easter week holds a wide range of emotions for me and at the close of Holy Week, they're feeling a little more pronounced. I have happy memories of childhood celebrations with my grandmother and immediate family. Chocolate and celebrations of Christ’s resurrection are closely associated in my core memories, which can’t be a bad thing. In adulthood, learning how to celebrate with new traditions has been a difficult process. When I approach this week, though, several key memories from the recent past are on my mind. Near...

Thank you for stopping by for this fourth advent devotional for this year. This week's writing is a bit more personal, but I hope that it will bless and encourage you. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; let ev’ry heart prepare him room and heav’n and nature sing. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love. -Isaac Watts- 2021 has been an extremely challenging year. In many ways, the “wonders of His love” felt less visible than in other seasons. In addition to all of the complications and changes in life due to Covid, I picked up my life in mid-June and left my dear heart home of Kandern, Germany to return to the US. I felt confirmed and supported in the decision, but it was still a difficult move. As I sorted through suitcases and emotions, I realized that I had a deep fear of being forgotten. It seemed logical enough - I have forgotten or lost touch with many people from v...

Hello friends, My semester ended last week, and I took some much-needed time to rest and recharge this weekend. As much as I wanted to post this earlier, the extra time gave me a chance to rest and reflect. Thanks for your patience, and for visiting!      This year, I helped my parents search for new Christmas decorations for their front yard. There were a lot of different options, but the ones that caught my eye were the big plastic cutouts spelling the word “joy”. This word can be seen everywhere this time of year. It seems to be used synonymously with “happiness.” In fact, Merriam-Webster defines it as a “feeling of great happiness,” and “a source or cause of great happiness.” But are they actually the same, and if not, how are they different? I believe that the difference is found at the source. Happiness comes in response to favorable circumstances or events. I feel happy when I hear from a friend, or when playing with my nephew. Joy is not rooted in circumstances. ...

  Welcome back! Whether you’re back for round two, or are visiting for the first time, I am honored by your visit. This week I have been reflecting on the way peace and light are related. Plus, this week includes a Christmas carol that was written by a German speaker - you know I had to! I hope that the reflections for this week offer some encouragement.  Advent Week 2: Peace - All is calm, all is bright with extravagant light! “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2 One thing that I have grown to love about the Advent season is the abundance of light. All I have to do is walk into my front yard and look up the street to see the presence of light. It’s everywhere - in the trees, on houses, in more colors and shades than I ever imagined could exist. The houses with the warm white lights trimming the frame, candles casting a gentle glow from the window are lovely and inviting, with a cl...

Advent Week 1: Hope Hope is not easy to write about, but as we begin this season of Advent, it has been helpful to me to reflect why hope is difficult. I hope that my reflections encourage you in some small way.  I have always been a do-it-myself kind of person. If someone needs to step up and take action, I will feel compelled to do it. If a better grade can be achieved, I’ll figure out what I could have done to get it. If a system or program could be more efficient, I’ll find a better way. The last two years have been very frustrating for me. It seems as though grief, loss, pain and so many other things, are rampant. The other day I saw an instagram post that encouraged readers to do “whatever felt right, because nothing matters anymore.” Yikes. It resonates, though. I wish that a word, deed or action could do away with the problems racking the world. And yet, I find myself wondering if these problems - pain, heartache, grief and loss - had been lurking beneath the surface, until...

What does it mean to you to prepare? In some seasons of my life, I have been the textbook example of procrastination. As I get older, however, this is something I am working hard to change. I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that in order to be able to give all that is being asked in a given situation, I need to come to the table prepared. Prepared to listen, to speak, to act, to learn, and so much more. What intentional steps do you take to prepare your heart for worship? Are you aware of the way that your heart and mind adjust to allow you to fully participate? Advent is a season of preparation. For you dear friend, the four weeks leading up to Christmas may be the busiest days of the year. My hope is that by pausing together to think, reflect and worship during the coming weeks, we can take back this ground, and prepare our hearts to more fully celebrate the coming of the One Who has done everything for you and me. Last year, the discipline of reflection and encouragement was i...

  Dear friends and family, I owe you all an apology - It has been much longer that I had hoped since I last wrote. I have been pondering for weeks what I should write. Since Christmas, our students have experienced four different types of learning environments. They started in January by attending classes virtually from their dorms. A 10 day quarantine to ensure no one had Covid-19 turned into three weeks of isolation because the number of infected cases in our state were so high. They then transitioned to attending classes virtually, but this time on campus. If you had walked onto our campus at that time, you would have seen that each dorm had an assigned zone where the students could spread out, attend classes, and work on homework. This was not an ideal situation, but it worked for a time. For about one month, our students were able to attend classes in person. As our student body returned to campus, the reunions were emotional to watch. Many had not seen each other in person si...

Hello friends! I've been meaning to post an update for a while, and decided to try a video this time. I've also included some photos of my wonderful colleagues below. Thank you for watching! If you would like to give, the link is here Sometimes it takes a small army: The 2020-21 Resident Assistants, Dorm Parents, Support Staff and Office Staff. My wonderful Administrative Team

Dear friends, I have tried over and over to find words for this update. It is difficult to put into words what the last weeks and months have been like. But I don’t have to tell you about the complications that the presence of Covid-19 has grafted into daily life. Many of the challenges that we have dealt with in Kandern, Germany are very similar to the changes each of you have experienced. I want to start by saying thank you, though it doesn’t feel like enough. Thank you for praying, for caring, for loving, for giving financially. Your partnership has meant the world to me during this time, and because of your partnership, God has empowered me, and those I work with, to endeavor to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Your support, in every form, has reached farther than ever.  Like many other schools, BFA has been in online-learning mode since mid-March, and finished the school year this way. Also in mid-march, about half of our student population migrated back to their parens...

To say that the world has changed since my last post feels like an understatement. If since that time, you and your friends and loved ones have been impacted by the effects of preventing the virus, or if you are figthting it personally, I am sorry. You are fighting battles every day that are daunting and difficult. Please know that I pray for you daily! Like so many other people, my life and work look very different at the present moment. Due to regulations intended to prevent the spread of the virus and flatten the curve, any routine that existed has been replaced. These days, rather than sit at a desk, I sit on my couch and keep up with emails from there. Rather than publish a weekly agenda and calendar update, I help to make sure our dorms have meals provided, that our staff are pacing themselves well and getting time off, and that each dorm has the support it needs. I check in with 3-4 RAs each day as well. Before all of this, I met with 7 female RAs each month, in my home or in ...

Dear Friends, I have been anxious to write to you for a long time now. Much has changed since the last time I wrote, and I pray that you and your families are healthy and proceeding safely and wisely. It is no secret that much of the world is in chaos right now. Growing up, I never imagined that border closings in far off places would have an impact on those in my community. If it were helpful, I could write page after page about the way everything changes. Our best decision made today could easily look like the wrong decision tomorrow. But we can only do the best we can with what we have. As I sit here writing to you, a few steps away, a group of teachers is busily working to adjust their curriculum to an online learning format. As of Wednesday, all classes at Black Forest Academy will be online, and many of our boarding students will have returned home to their families across the world. So dear friends, as you seek to make decisions that are best for your families and communities...

Dear friends,  The last few months have been full of changes, emotions, and exciting events. The biggest answer to prayer to share is that God has provided for me, through you, in ways that are completely beyond my understanding. I'm back at BFA, and loving my new role. Let me share some highlights from the last few months with you! August The first weeks of August held Orientation and training for all of our dorm staff. Each day we met together to discuss and work together on everything that goes into running a dorm. New staff learned to drive, registered at the Rathaus (town hall), and learned to shop for 30 or more people at the grocery store - in German! Staff teams for each dorm worked on developing schedules, task lists, and communication with each other and parents. This year held unique challenges as our office staff, almost all brand new to our jobs, lead training for six teams of dorm staff. We are building our own office dynamic as well, and it is truly a ...

Dear Friends, What a full semester it has been so far! The final week of school before spring break was very eventful! My brother Tim was in Germany for a week of classes, so over the weekend I was able to travel to Frankfurt, Germany to see him for a few hours. There is something revitalizing  about seeing and being heard and understood by family! On Monday evening, Faith Cox, one of my senior piano students presented her senior recital. She is a gifted musician who sings and plays piano beautifully. She is also a gifted artist, and displayed a number of her own pieces.  The evening was beautiful and I couldn't be more proud! The week also held an accreditation visit with three organizations. Work has been going on for months in preparation, and the school received encouraging feedback. On Friday, the final day of school before break, I had the opportunity to speak as part of BFA's chapel hour. Various adults spoke in different locations around campus, and the studen...

Dear Friends, First of all, Happy 2019! I hope that the new year has been full of hope and peace for you so far. It's been a while since I've written, and I do apologize for that. A lot has happened, and I hope to get you caught up in this post. I really wish that I could sit down with you over some delicious coffee, but this will have to do. Let me start with an overview of the last few months. November: This month I had a wonderful, encouraging visit with my brother, Tim. He was able to see my life in Kandern, meet friends, and see the part of Germany where I live. This month also included a lot of planning for the end of the semester. My students made wonderful progress in their abilities to read music and work independently. I was also privileged to celebrate Thanksgiving with a number of my colleagues on several different occasions. One of the fun aspects of living outside the US is that we aren't limited to one day! :) At the end of this month, I was also privil...