Love

When my husband told a kid that he’d also have a strong wife: another adven-nurture moment come to life!

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My husband is a truth-speaker. He loves to proclaim his love for me as well as my great value. He also loves to inspire others toward the power of marriage. My heart exults over these things about him. 

A couple weeks ago, we were in San Francisco, walking with my parents. Along the sidewalk where our feet were finding their way, pleasantly parallel to the embarcadero, there was a wooden curb of sorts to our right. It was essentially a 3×3″ piece of timber, about 8 feet long, used to keep people and things from negatively effecting the construction project underway to our right. We noticed a boy, about eight years old, trying to figure out a way to walk on that beam. My husband encouraged him that it was possible and hopped up on it, using my right shoulder for balance.

“See!” he said, “It’s easy! You can do it too! For me, my wife gives me the strength and support I need to do this and many other things in life. One day in the future you can have a strong wife too, who helps you accomplish great things you couldn’t do on your own. Right now, your mom might be able to help you walk on the beam though. Okay, bye!” 

 

The moment was priceless. 

Travel is innately better with this man by my side. We give each other great strength, supernatural strength even. Whether navigating Qalqilya in the Palestinian Territories or enjoying the sunny wind of San Francisco, we get to bring our co-strength and inspire others, even whole cities, with it. Ah, travel! It nurtures our souls, yes; however, we also get to nurture souls wherever we go. 

There is adventure, which we love; and there is ADVEN-NURTURE, which we thrive in! 

Go find some adven-nurture today! Let us know what happens! 

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It’s Not Guns We Need to Focus on, it’s EMPATHY

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It’s Not Guns We Need to Focus on, it’s EMPATHY

I’ve been thinking about writing a very similar article. It’s extraneous to assess and re-assess shootings like these without simply realizing that the main missing component- the healer, the preventer, the way to dismantle such terrorism is LOVE. Love your neighbor as yourself. Don’t ignore their pain, their suicidal jokes, or their maniacal threats. Pause, get bold, and love them.

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“Here’s what doesn’t get the headlines: Empathy. Listening to those around you. Even if you don’t like them very much.

Despite being relevant and important discussions, the glamorous headlines are ultimately distractions — they just feed into the carnage and the attention and the fame the killer desired. They are distractions from what is right in front of you and me and the victims of tomorrow’s shooting: people who need help. And while we’re all fighting over whose pet cause is more right and more true and more noble, there’s likely another young man out there, maybe suicidally depressed, maybe paranoid and delusional, maybe a psychopath, and he’s researching guns and bombs and mapping out schools and recording videos and thinking every day about the anger and hate he feels for this world.

And no one is paying attention to him.” -Mark Manson

Middle East Monday: When Loving Your Enemies is Loud

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Home. Peace. Feeling nestled in.

These are common desires. However, there are areas of the world where this idea of “home” is less established than hearts would like it to be. One such place is the Palestinian territories. I lived in Israel and Palestine for three years. Stories and snapshots, longings and prayers, activism and belief build bridges from dreams to reality. Awareness is important.

With specific regard to the Tent of Nations, I’ve met some of this family. They are kind, just, and visionary. Their experience should be shared- in hopes that influencers will change the direction of their imminent loss. You can be part of the solution. Spread the word.

Tent of Nations on Upworthy

home

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home

Well, I’m behind on Advent days, but this is in honor of day 6.

HOME

My husband and I recently decided to stay in town for Christmas, rather than travel to my family 5.5 hours south of us. This is because my husband’s family will be in our town.

It’s our first married Christmas. There’s some sadness about missing Christmas with my immediate family, but my husband’s family has become mine so, that’s a precious addition – and thus, I will be with “my” family either way. Moreover, marriage is a massive change to so many parts of life, I think it’s another area of stretching and renewing my mindset. And that’s beautiful.

Then, I got thinking about good ol’ Mary and Joseph and their journey from Naz to Bhem. I thought about the adoption of all future people into the family of God they were inviting. I thought about their sacrifice, their vision, their calling, and their unity.

Wow. I don’t know where their hearts most felt at home, but I theorize that after living so many places together, “home” was truly wherever they were together. Moreover, the presence of God united them, even while physically separate. It’s interesting, this spatial misconception we often have about separation and geography. We’re one in the spirit. We’re together.

We’re home.

Christmas gets Christmas-er the more we let our minds be renewed to think like God does.