Labor Pains: Birthing A Church
Here is an article I wrote in 2002 about Church Planting and published in The Christian Standard. For those of you who attend InRoads, it's our history in a nutshell! How fun to read how it all began and see where we are today! Enjoy! My husband, Jeff, used to say, “I want to live and die as a youth pastor in Yucaipa, California. I can’t see myself as a senior pastor.” And that’s when I knew God had other plans. After an 8 1/2 year youth ministry in Southern California, God


Zach's Mom Confesses
I’m tired of being Zach’s mother. He’s so needy, always wanting something from me. This morning it was breakfast. And if I muster enough energy to get up again anytime soon, he’ll need his diaper changed. He’s 3. Can’t he get his own breakfast and change his own diaper? Better yet, can’t he just go pee pee in the potty like everyone else in this house? “C’mon Zach,” I coax. “All the cool kids are doing it.” No response. How about a new car? Maybe some cash? What is it going t


Butterfly Kisses: To My Dad
Dear Dad, I heard a Hallmark commercial on the radio yesterday about “What is it you need to say to your dad? Tell him with a Hallmark card.” And I wanted to do that. So bad. But everything I need to say won’t fit on a Hallmark card, and it’s been 17 years since you passed away. Zachary is almost 4 now, and you never met my boys, never wrestled with them on the floor, drove them around in your sports car, or took them out for ice cream. I create scenes in my head how it might


Lessons from Little League
I’ve heard about people losing it at Little League, and yesterday I got to experience it first hand. My teenage son’s team consists of some difficult players: bad attitudes, talking back to coaches, arguing with parents, etc. But yesterday was the worst. The whole game was just plain tense, and not in a good “hey, we are in the championships” kind of way. Lots of errors and reactions to errors. Kids swearing and throwing batting helmets. Coaches yelling at kids to get out of

