I was going to say the last several months have been quite a battle, but honestly, the last five years in Costa Rica have been a battle. What’s been the effect on me?

We are living on a coffee plantation. Most weekday mornings, the small crew of coffee pickers come through the gate, dragging along their nine and eleven-year-old children to play while they pick.

Whenever I browse social media, I consistently see posts about “the only 5 magical things that can do everything better…” #clickbait

Seven years ago, my life changed. We added a dog to our family. The idea of getting a dog was not mine.

I was a little naughty.

My college roommate, Troy, was visiting me in Pennsylvania from his home in North Carolina. I had just started getting to know a cute girl (who I later married.)

I was speaking with a church that has been without a staff worship leader for nearly a year.

Yesterday, I was battling low-grade anxiety for most of the day.

Read these lyrics written by a 23-year-old slowly and prayerfully.

Losing our normal, hurts. We had rhythms. We had reasonably certain expectations. How should we, as worshiping Christians, grieve our loss of normalcy?

What am I taking to heart?

I got together with some friends and had seven gifts I wanted to give them. These gifts would provide a backdrop for testifying about what God had been doing. It was a real encouragement for us, and I wanted to bless you with those things.