• Uncategorized

    Choza is not doing well …

    Choza (our Golden Retriever) has not eaten since Wednesday and she’s been in the vet hospital since Thursday morning. She even threw up two tiny ounces of a nutritional liquid by syringe today–and they are only able to keep her hydrated subcutaneously (under the skin). She’s bleeding in her diarrhea and is just so very, very sick. I held her this morning and just cried. Dr. Lain is going to do an exploratory surgery first thing tomorrow morning and try to repair whatever is wrong. But it doesn’t look good. I have to be cheerful now because we’re having friends over in an hour. But I keep crying. Thank God…

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    Poor Chozie …

    Thanks for all of the sweet notes regarding our sick Golden Retriever, Choza. I truly appreciate it! Just to update you all … she’s not doing very well. The vet said that she continued to vomit through the night (not a good sign) and they are hydrating her under her skin and giving her medicine to try to control the nausea. Hopefully she’ll turn a corner–otherwise the next steps are x-rays (not usually good for wood blockages, though) and/or barium (??). I’ll let you know how things progress. Again, thank you for your kindness!   Love to all, Tara B.  

  • Grace in Daily Life

    At our best and at our worst …

    I received an email yesterday from a woman I “met” through this blog. She was hurting and asked for prayer (what an honor to be asked to pray for her!) and I wrote her back this reply. (I’ve changed the name of course.) Dear Teri, I have been praying for you since I read your email—and I’m just so very, very sorry that relationships are so painful for you. I’d like to actually write something specific and (potentially) encouraging … but I can’t tell from your email what the problem is (other than that you are suffering terribly). Were I one of the women in your church that you are…

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    Amber Alerts?

    Has anyone else signed up for the wireless amber alerts? I keep hearing their ads on talk radio, so I thought I’d check it out. It sure seems like a great idea … if there is an amber alert on a missing child, everyone who signs up in that zip code gets a FREE text message to their cell phone. I hope that I never have to use it, but can you imagine if a child was lost in a park and within minutes all of the moms in the park received the alert? It would DRASTICALLY increase the ability of our wonderful law enforcement professionals to help us and…

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    Discussion board …

    Hey friends! I just spent a few minutes glancing at your posts on our little discussion board and boy! Was I blessed by how you encouraged / counseled / prayed for one another. Thrilling! Truly. I do SO hope that you will continue to minister to one another … my goal is really to facilitate an online environment where your wisdom can bless others and point them to Christ. So I’m just thrilled — oh, and I do hope that you’ll let me know how I can (try to) improve things for you too. I do have a favor to ask, though … One of you emailed me about a…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    It really makes you appreciate …

    Those of you who attended my “alumni/advanced” retreat last week in Texas will remember me telling the story of Rick, Annette & Christina Friesen. Christina was the fifteen year old girl who had spent her entire life in foster care/group homes but one day in the summer of 2005 found herself on an airplane next to one of the directors at Peacemaker Ministries, Rick Friesen. To make a long story short, Rick was so struck by this sweet teenager (who was, again, on her way to a new group home) that he and his wife spent weeks finding her (with only her first name and the information that she was…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    There’s just something about her I can’t stand …

    about me. Have you ever heard that? “There’s just something about her I can’t stand about me!” The first time I heard something say that I thought, “Man! That is SO true!” Especially when it comes to mothers and daughters. As you may recall, my mom and stepdad were visiting last week. All in all, I think it was a great visit … we thoroughly enjoyed having them here; Sophia LOVED having granma and grandpa to entertain … no overt conflicts; actually a lot of laughs and nice/sweet conversations. Nice. BUT … there were stresses too. Mostly because of my black heart. Really. I can just be such a jerk…

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    Texas! (& Deaf Interpreters too!)

    Hi friends! (If anyone is still with me after this LONG hiatus …) Or should I say, “Hi, y’all!” Yes, I’m in Texas one session into the “new” women’s retreat that I’m hoping will serve as a foundation for the CONTENT of the dvd series we’re taping in March. It is always such a privilege to be with God’s people! And so humbling too– Last night I was overwhelmed with the thought of my own inadequacy when it comes to sharing this message of how the gospel transforms our lives (not just forgives our past sins and secures our future eternity–but actually brings real and present benefits to our lives…

  • Relationships & Peacemaking

    Forgiveness is better …

    Earlier today Sophia, Choza and I headed out to run a couple of errands and bring Fred some soup for lunch. (There is an AMAZING little cafe in Billings run by these two Dutch brothers and their wives and on Fridays they have the world’s best tomato basil soup. It’s out of this world! If you’re even in Billings on a Friday, I’ll buy you a cup.) ANYWAY … one of the laborers who is installing our new doors apparently had to run out too and as Sophia and I were driving down our little avenue, this kid JUST ABOUT BROADSIDED US BECAUSE HE COMPLETELY RAN A STOP SIGN (!!!!!).…

  • Grace in Daily Life

    What a friend …

    This morning I called up a woman in my church that I really don’t know very well–but I’ve always wanted to get to know more. (She has ministered grace to our Body in such humble, sweet, intelligent ways … well … she just seemed like the kind of person everyone would always want to spend time with.) It was … funny / strange / a little embarrassing to call her, though … “Ummm, Hi! How are you? Hey–would you ever consider visiting with me for awhile? I’d like to seek your counsel and wisdom on some heart issues and I was wondering if we could visit and maybe, you know,…