Well… It’s been awhile since I gave you guys a concise personal update. As in, a couple of years (insert sheepish grin)?
This is largely because sometimes I prefer, oh, having a mole removed to talking about myself. Hence this post taking waaaaaay too long for me to hit “publish.”
But here we go.
The World Tour.
As my kids age and my house empties, I hope to travel with John (that would be my husband, a VP) more with our missions org, Engineering Ministries International (EMI). We served with EMI in Uganda, and we’re still passionate about the poor–and about sustainably empowering missionaries around the world.
This past February, that took us to Spain together for the directors’ conference of their 12 offices around the world. The encouraging takeaway for us: God has been slowly building John-and-Janel, after 24 years together, into a more and more beautiful team. The empty nest is weirdly not that far away for us; my youngest, below, just turned 15. (I promise we’re young-ish.) 
And it’s cool to be able to picture beautiful things ahead.
This summer, our whole family (well–the two kids left at home) will be supporting EMI’s Managua, Nicaragua office. My husband is already there; I stayed for a week, and am now back home until next week, when we’ll join him out of Colorado’s stunning, breezy June into 90+ temps with solo un poquito aire acondicionado.
We’re renting out the house and taking Charlie (that would be our doted-on dog). So my bedroom is lined with neon Spanish flashcards, open suitcases, and that cardboard box I need to ship to an APO address before I leave (see below). And I’m tackling B-list cleaning jobs, like the mold on the bathroom ceiling. (Overshare?)
But can I tell you how stoked I am to get our kids back into the developing world? Spotty internet! Cold showers! Potholes!–and back around how 80% of the world lives.
In truth, I am asking God to shape things only He can do in my kids as we serve there. I’d love your prayers.
My oldest son is also currently deployed in the Pacific with the US Marines,
WhatsApping us crazy photos of stuff like him drinking water from a banana tree “like we learned in our jungle survival class.” The enlisted Marines are generally a dark environment. But we’re energized by the ways he’s taking his walk with God seriously, if imperfectly.
And another one down.
My second son finished high school in December, and recently pivoted to wanting to go to college to be a history professor.
In light of three learning disorders he’s worked hard to overcome, this is a big deal.
And I actually think he’ll be great at it. Picture the extended family, last Father’s Day, talking about ancestry, and someone mentioning, “I mean, I don’t know how many times the Saxons invaded Germany, but…”
My son, quietly: “Six.”
Well. Okay.
He moved recently to live with my sainted parents in Arkansas–a huge gift to us–where cost of living is lower, job opportunities more abundant (he had two within a week), and he can earn in-state tuition after a year for a less-expensive education.
As far as my kids at home go: Then there were two.
Crazy new opportunities.
This year found me asking hard questions about my writing career and where I was headed. (Had I peaked? What should I do if I had?) But God’s been kind, to the point of baffling me.
I’ve recently been asked to become a regular contributor to Focus on the Family. (I’ve got a couple more podcast episodes coming up with them, too.)
You can find a few of my first Mother’s Day-themed pieces here, with several more to come (and despite the rather vanilla titles, full of my oddball humor):
- Motherhood during the Teen Years
- Celebrating Motherhood with Young Children
- What a Mom of Toddlers and Preschoolers Really Wants for Mother’s Day
I taped a few more podcast episodes with them last October, which have yet to air.
Then, this June, I’ve been told my first piece will appear in Christianity Today, on whether our evangelism methods are changing fast enough to keep up with culture. I’m humbled and a little flabbergasted.
And this past week, I met with a publisher about the possibility of book #2. (More on this to come.)
I continue to freelance during my days, especially for FamilyLife. As a glimpse–I strategized their new free microsite, FamilyLife Equip, to equip anyone from layleaders to pastors to live on mission wherever they’re at. I also strategized their new pages for parents on sexual wholeness. And weirdly, I’m managing their YouTube page.
This all makes me sound remarkably more accomplished than I am, as highlight reels tend to do. Even when one’s lowlight reel feels much more realistic.
I will resist the urge to list all of my failures and eye-rolling moments in similar fashion. Y’all know I’m quite human. If you’re skeptical, ask my teenagers.
And some of the same opportunities.
I’m still happily singing on the worship team at my church, as well as participating in other energizing ways there. I tape the weekly video announcements, where I’m basically the church cut-up once a week. It’s fun.
I write for YMItoday, a Christian blog in Asia, and write and speak for Thrive Ministry (encouraging female global workers) as well as some women’s retreats (loved one with college girls last February!).
(If your church or org could use a speaker, contact me here.)
But painful parts, too.
Those of you familiar with the blog know that I’ve experienced a lot of pain in my kids’ teenage years–in stories that are theirs to tell. Coming back from Africa, too, has been a challenging season for our whole family.
So I haven’t hidden the fact that I’m working doggedly through depression. A therapist specializing in EMDR has been a gift with a big red bow on it, To: Me, Love, God.
Though I attempted to go off medication this year, I found I still need the biological help to be a healthier, holier version of myself. I’m at peace with that, and grateful for a perspective allowing me to ride life’s rollercoaster with courage and resilience.
Other weird bits refusing to be categorized.
- I may have a plant addiction problem. (Yes, I live in Colorado. No, not that particular plant.) As in, I love buying and pouring all my over-nurturing into them. Working at my standing desk all day can be a little like working in a rainforest, pleasing me immensely.
- The younger two have their drivers’ permits. I.e., My prayer life is thriving.
- My daughter, turning 17 soon, shifted to online school this year for great success. She’s also opting to delay graduation a year to graduate with her associates’ degree at the same time.
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- My husband recently returned to Uganda with EMI, and it was a delight to catch up vicariously with old friends I only get to talk with every few months. Both mentoring and simply having relationships with friends around the world is one of the aspects we love about our life.
- I still dabble in some oil painting, and sometimes I like what I paint. My daughter and I both had pieces in a show at a local gallery last year.
- I’ve been co-writing a book with close friends of mine who lead EMI client Cherish Uganda, an faith-based non-profit restoring life and creating hope for HIV-positive kids in Uganda. We have plans to independently publish the book this fall. Stay tuned.
- I confess my husband and I are on a long-lasting K-drama kick. Yes, for real. There’s something to be said for shows that move a bit slower with little-to-no sleaze. He and I love exploring the cross-cultural elements, too. Wanting to dip your toe in? Try Netflix’s Crash Landing On You. Goes great with a side of Sun Chips and Russell Stover’s sugar-free chocolate caramels, IMO.
All right…surely that’s bought me another year before the next update?! Thank you, readers, for opening your inboxes and/or hearts. I value each of you, and I’m praying for you as I type.
