Hi! Welcome to Life in the Valley. I’m
Heather and this is where I write to encourage those who, like me, follow
Christ in the “now but not yet.” We live
in the valley and look up to our God, think Psalm 121. We
know we are not stuck here, because God finishes what He starts in us AND there is a greater time to come; we can press on with great hope! And so I write, to remind myself … and you … that
we can live with great hope, even as we walk through the valley of life this
side of heaven.
Life for me consists of marriage,
motherhood, family, friends, neighbors, church, teaching, reading, and writing,
intermingled with laundry, cleaning, shopping, and cooking, too often sprinkled
with laziness, irritability, harsh tones, and complaining, but also done
frequently with thanksgiving and joy.
Yup, it is a life lived whole-heartedly in the “now but not yet!”
Can you relate?
Can you relate?
If so, stick around. The main purpose of this blog is to encourage
you to consider how the truth of gospel interacts with real life. How do we apply the truth of freedom in
Christ and life by the Spirit as children of the Father to the day-to-day
business of living in our homes, working our jobs, moving about in our
communities, and belonging to our churches?
What does the Bible have to say about these things?
There you have it: Life in the Valley. Will you join me in thinking about these
things? Consider subscribing,
sign up to get email when there’s a new post, like my Facebook page, or follow along on Twitter, and
let’s do this together!
About
My People and Places
The husband and I have been married
since August 2002. I think he's swell. He never runs out of cool
ideas or creative solutions to any problem I throw at him. He is a
thinker; I need a thinker in my life to keep me grounded. He's
tender-hearted; I need a man who forgives quickly and loves me well. I'm thankful
God put Him in my life and keeps him there.
Did I mention his patience?
The children
These kids keep me on my toes with
their antics and questions, but I love them more than I ever imagined I could
love anything … and lose my patience with them more quickly than any others in
my life!
My cities are Pittsburgh, PA and
Boston, MA. I grew up and went to college in Pittsburgh and our
family moved back there in 2010; all I can say is “I love Pittsburgh!” Graduate
school for the aforementioned husband took us to Boston for several years after
we married – so many precious people, places, and memories there!
In August 2013, we moved to a much smaller town that we hope to call home for many, many years: Indiana, PA. The short story is that God brought us here on purpose, and we are thrilled to be along for the ride.I also spent two years of my life abroad, adding to my list of beloved places. When I was 12, I lived with my family in Dortmund, Germany. Between high school and college, I spent a year as an exchange student in Oriente, Argentina, preparing me to pursue a degree in Spanish.
I appreciated your prayer of lament in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol last week, Heather. It is indeed a sad time for our nation and institutions. As you have noted, it is also a time for all who regard Jesus as our sole Master to join together and seek to be vessels of peace, love, mercy, faith--and hope that transcends. Steve
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