why beauty makes the world worth it

As I remember the joy of today, 24 hours before leaving for the next leg of the journey to South Sudan, it occurs to me that soaking up the beautiful in our world isn’t optional; it’s essential.  Because beauty gives us the vision, the energy and the reminder we need to keep pouring our lives into the brokenness.

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futbol and FIFA boys

“Okay,” I said. “If you show me where they are, I’ll buy you a FIFA ball.” The boy started giving me high-fives and hugging me. One of the older boys knelt down, took my hand, and kissed it. I asked who wanted to walk to the market with me.

They all did.  As we started walking, the boys danced and skipped behind me as if I were the Pied Piper of futbol.

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Healing is Holy: Why medical professionals "playing God" is a good thing

When we set broken bones and carve out cancers and suture wounds and alleviate pain, we are playing God in the best possible way. We are agreeing with God that while disease may be the present state in which we find the world, it is not the way it’s supposed to be, and often it’s not the way it has to be, and we do whatever we can to make it right.

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practicing resurrection: the day before WELL launches

Having malaria in Togo, and pneumonia this weekend, helps me remember that the power that raised Jesus from the dead on Sunday morning was the same power at work in his life on Friday night.  On Sunday, the power gave him strength to rise. On Friday, the power gave him strength to surrender.

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four things every sexual trauma survivor needs to hear (**trigger warning**)

If you're a friend or a family member who's walking this road with someone who's healing from sexual trauma, wondering how to walk this road well with them, there are four simple things that every survivor I've ever talked to said they needed to hear. Four simple things I said to my friend last night, that I'll tell her again today.

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