Grateful for your pursuit of truth and health and our Lord...

as will "Husband" and "Daddy" for me

Who wants to ride a roller coaster alone, eh?!

My honor Love

You are an amazing person Teri. You're Super Mom, and yeah...so much more. You don't do anything small, including parenthood. So grateful for your incredible devotion to our kids, for sure. But understand and honor your heart for a calling that goes far beyond the role of 'Mommy'. Love you.

Idle, neutral, passive, lazy, boring...all words that are NOT Teri. I'm grateful for your drive. Most of the time... Proud of you, and yes...I'm feeling pretty pregnant too. Grateful for the story God calls us to.

Interesting to read as I take all the deconstructed pieces of my business and ditch a lot while researching new to reconstruct it the right way. The way that fits me and how God made me, not what fits my baggage. Thanks for the confirmation Teri.

I'm so, so stoked about what you feel called to and are going after. I want to be a tool God uses to help make things happen for you my Teri.

Just read the blog, and your reply Wendy. Totally get your perspective. Completely. But made me think, again...can I be content anyway? Is it about the destination, or the journey of doing what I feel called to do? In ten years, if you've influenced many, many women's lives for the better, what if you make a million bucks, or 'just get by'? Doesn't minimize the work, eh? And what's the alternative? Ten years doing something just for a buck that doesn't matter to anyone's life? Not a perfect perspective, but relevant to myself and others I think.

Such a gift to read your heart my Love. This line is beautiful, "You don't need to see the light at the end of the tunnel; You just need to have faith it's there." Makes me think of people whose life's work never comes to fruition while they are alive. They worked their entire existence in faith...faith without seeing. But I want and expect my payoff...soon. So I can fully enjoy and ride it. So am I working for the faith in what I do mattering? Or just for the reward and payoff? That's a paradigm shifter. I want both of course, but which is priority sure alters my attitude. Thanks for the wisdom...I need it today.

The great gravity? I could cite many things that support my belief, but it's ultimately a core faith that I choose and can't deny, of my Creator's plan for me. For better or worse, I was destined for you as my wife.

Thank you so much for this my Love. I have no 'file' for this (don't like you but long for you) as the counselor would say, but it's true for me as well, "Even now, 20 Valentine's later, I can't help myself from loving you, desiring you. Even when I don't like you, you're the one I long for." That segment you read to me from Blue Like Jazz...you should read it on a video and post it. Seriously.

I so wish I could be the Hero and fix everything. But I can't. I'm not the Hero. I'm just...Kevin. Your line above hit me, "There will always be those who think ill of you, no matter how you perform or try to please." I know this, but hard to walk in it when I'm hard wired for approval. But I can't think of any voice or authority or 'leader' that I haven't thrown a stone at. Yet I want a platform and to come away unscathed. Not possible. I've gotta give more grace to others for one, but as you say in so many words, start with grace for myself and just be more...free. Maybe when I learn that, I can start an academy for freedom or something...

I'd love to sit down in some quiet time with you...just you...and pray and discern that section of scripture. It so coincides with where I'm being drawn in Ephesians...but I languish some in translating it to the present.

Wow. This is beyond convicting and compelling and...real. You are an amazing communicator with an amazing heart. This is really beautiful Teri.

Great wisdom Teri. Happy Birthday, eager to really celebrate it in New Mexico!

This is great, and I feel a calling to put more fun and enjoyment into our family. I've gotten so wrapped up in 'purpose' and 'service' and 'life is serious' that while I may appreciate things, I seldom take time to just enjoy. Like our amazing kids.

I'm so grateful. Thank you my Love.

As you know...I'm suffering in my own way. So often struggling with my joy. My peace. Cause...it's hard. And my church-bred logic just naturally equates doing 'good works' and acting in 'righteousness' equates to the Jabez prayer! More money, more peace, more BLESSINGS in regards to life circumstances. Yet my Bible of course just talks about the blessings of the heart and eternity, not circumstances. Not sure I'll ever really reconcile that. Just have to accept it. Well...I know PEACE amidst hard circumstances comes from understanding and accepting God's truth. I fear I'm failing cause I'm still so wrapped up in the desire for circumstantial ease and payoff. Shadrack and his bros had peace going into a freakin' fire place, presumably. God same them. But John the Baptist...did he have peace as he was about to get beheaded? Would I have any support from anyone if I acted in a way, even in service to God, that might be me beheaded? Wouldn't that be irresponsible in regards to my family who I must care for? That just jacks up my dogma, as Scott Stearman would say. I'm with you. Even as we feel out of control with our current 7 kids and seek an 8th that may entail too much money, too much time, too much heartache, too much too much. I love you. What else would we be doing, eh?!

Holy moly...you're amazing. Reading this, seeing the pictures...made me misty. Yeah...why DO you love me so? I'm just grateful and awed. What a story we have, eh? It's hard to understand how much I liked you and how fully I fell in love with you...when today you are SO MUCH MORE. You are an amazing and ridiculous and awe inspiring woman. Just as our God is Amazing. Ridiculous. And truly, fully Awe Inspiring. I love you most.

Almost a month after you wrote this...I'm reading it. And interesting timing. You say "Answering the call is so risky." And it's now that we're feeling the real cost of the time away. It didn't all wrap itself up in a pretty bow. We served and God pays us back by making our life easier. I think it's harder now. Why do I have that natural tendency to think that if I do good, I WILL GET THE PAYOFF. Jesus did good and got murdered. So hard to grasp that we're not here to build our kingdom on earth. Thanks for this reminder Love.

Thanks for this Teri. I think I'm learning. Learning that the only peace is in seeking God's direction. And we won't get a clear map from our seeking. Just a clue here and there. And...I'll screw it up. He gives me that power, for better or worse. So we constantly realign, eh? Like Romans 12:2 that I gave to the teens today. We renew our minds. Every freakin' day. Or we can't have faith that 'He'll work all things for good'. He can...IF. If we seek Him. Ask him. Renew our minds. I think I'm just starting to see some truth in being messy. Out of control. Uncomfortable. Almost to the point that going home seems...strange. I know there is need and worth in that. But how much time do we give to just...us? Our little lives? How much time do we spend in shallow waters, eh? Maybe just enough for a bit of rest? I love you. Wouldn't want to swim with anyone else.

You captured so much here Teri. Yeah, I feel humbled to say the least. But I love the perspective we keep coming to of, "If we weren't here, what else would we be doing? We'd be home, padding our own little lives." Why NOT be here, doing what we can to aid real servants?! Thanks for sharing your heart, as always Love.

Makes me think of 'anchors of truth' that we've talked about before. We can so easily forget. But also makes me dwell on just being grateful. Focusing on what I have instead of what I have not. Thanks for bringing me back to truth my Love.