I was a foster parent for ten years and this is the list I wish someone would have passed along to the people in my life… A listening ear: They are going to have stories you might not relate to, listen anyway. They might be making choices you wouldn’t make in their shoes, listen anyway. They might… Read more
25-years ago, Todd and I were quietly preparing for a move to Mexico. We weren’t telling many people, afraid they would talk us out of it. We were young, naïve, and underprepared. There was a general feeling we were in-over-our-heads, and routinely we were caught off guard by an unexpected setback or blessing. That sense… Read more
Have you ever looked back at a moment and cringed? Wishing you had known then, what you know now? Once upon a time, we allowed group members to give Christmas presents directly to children in a children’s home- cementing the notion the American was amazing… meanwhile, the person who washed their clothes, tucked them in, and listened… Read more
“Jesus said…. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17 Women were the first witnesses at the resurrection and right away this tells us something about Jesus. He doesn’t look at people how man does. The culture would’ve looked over… Read more
According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year. The history of this day is long and its various versions disputed, but what we know for sure is this year we need one another more than ever. Beyond our global health crisis, there is a tremendous growing sense… Read more
No matter how I feel about 2020, January 1st is a new page and a fresh start. I love the chance to look ahead and lean towards “all the days ordained for me (were) written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Ps. 139:16) It can be intimidating to look at a… Read more
In this different kind of year, we’re all working hard to stay connected to each other, the Back2Back family, and the Lord. We’re grateful for the trauma training we’ve had over the years and the truth that connection and presence brings healing. There’s plenty of healing needed, so this holiday, as we make travel plans and… Read more
Presence Matters. It was my Mom who first taught this to me, she said and modeled it (and still does) throughout my life. I inscribed one of my books to her with that phrase, and believe it to be never more relevant than during 2020. As children throughout the world looked to the adults in their… Read more
Usually this time of year, I am peppering my kids with questions, asking them if their backpacks are still good from last year? Do they need new shoes? When are they going back to their college campuses? What is their new schedule? This year just feels different. 2020 has given us many gifts, but principally it… Read more
10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Martha Rojas I met Martha twenty years ago, when she was just starting a children’s home. Over these years, I’ve told her stories on stages, in books, and to groups. I’ve prayed for and with her, and she’s taught me some incredible lessons: about provision, persistence, perspective. Martha is one… Read more