When Joy comes to your house,
Welcome her.
Kiss her upturned face and give her a seat
At the head of your table…

It was a chilly evening in early spring, and my husband and I were running late. In the highly introverted pacific northwest, it is a momentous occasion to leave the coziness of one’s home on a dreary midweek evening—a decision not entered into lightly—especially for a church event…

For my dad’s birthday this year, my sister gave him the gift of digitized family videos that were previously unwatchable. And oh, what a treasure trove this has been. This weekend, my husband, family, and I watched as my 7-year-old self gave a groundbreaking performance as the Angel Gabriel in my siblings’ 1997 Christmas production of The Nativity…

On a balmy July night in 2018, I found myself in a crowded upper room, surrounded by Filipina and American women who were praying and worshiping God. This was an act of preparation, for we were about to be sent into the neon lights and booming sounds of the bar district below…

This week, my precious sister was hospitalized. She is at home and doing better now, so strong and so brave—but I am not…

In April of 2019, my husband’s dear mother—Jan—passed away after a long battle with COPD…

It was a dark and dreary Wednesday afternoon, and my mind was filled with thoughts of how broken I felt…