Imagine a child learning to ride a bike for the first time. They start out with training wheels, so they won’t lose their balance. Once they’re removed, a trusted adult stays close behind, holding on. Although still unsteady, the guiding hand behind them prevents their fall. Eventually, the child pedals alone and risks falling. If… Read more
His back was to the kitchen in Rancho de los Nino’s Children’s Home. He watched Ada, a volunteer at the home, as she got up. His big, brown eyes followed her until she walked out of his line of sight. He heard her enter the kitchen to prepare his lunch. He slowly leaned back as far… Read more
It was Father’s Day, and the staff in Monterrey was determined to rewrite the meaning of this day for the orphaned and vulnerable children they served. “We wanted the children to understand they had a Father who would never leave them, who has always held them in the palms of His hands,” shared Beth Guckenberger…. Read more
Hi, I’m Beth! And this May is unlike a May that we’ve ever had. We are all getting used to what might be our new normal, this change that’s happened as a result of COVID-19, and in the midst of all this change and things that are new, we have parts of this season we’re… Read more
I had been planning this letter for a while for the kids under my roof, but as I sit here in the middle of COVID-19, the situation has certainly changed. I am thinking about the graduates I love in Cincinnati, Nigeria, Mexico, and around the world. There won’t be teary-eyed pictures, taken after a long… Read more
For years, my family was the Christmas and Easter family. We didn’t attend church weekly, we didn’t even attend church monthly, but we were always present for Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday services. It wasn’t until I was well into my twenties, I became a regular church-goer. So many things were new to me –… Read more
This is the week that allows us to dream- all the rest of the days of the year- about stories of reconciliation and restoration and redemption and rescue and repair. This is the week the Lord wrote with incredible intentionality, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday. Every detail is rich with meaning. The story started… Read more
This month, I’ve been thinking about the difference between living as a child of God and living with more of what I think of as an “orphan spirit.” I know I’m a child of God. I know what John 1 talks about – I understand that means I’ve been forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, called, and loved. But my… Read more
“If These Walls Could Talk” is a blog series we’re excited to share with you. Across the Back2Back sites, there are structures – palapas, front porches, swing sets, tap-taps, surf boards – where you may have gathered on a trip with us. We gather to connect with each other, with vulnerable children, with hard working parents… Read more
In this month of love, Beth shares about the Hebrew word “ahavah” and how it can shape our ideas about love. Listen in as she reveals the practice she and Todd developed 15 years ago to fight busyness and fatigue in their marriage. Never miss an episode of Around the Kitchen Table: Subscribe on YouTube… Read more