Finding Freedom with Anita Lustrea

Five years ago my husband, two kids and I pulled into the driveway of our new house in the Chicago suburbs, a geographic region roughly four times larger than any place we’d lived before. Other than a few people we casually encountered during my husband’s job interview process, we didn’t know a single soul. Not one. It was three days before [...]

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A Christmas Snapshot

Well, I hate to admit it but I was determined not to write a Christmas letter this year. (What you are reading now is the adapted version I said I wouldn’t write and preceded to mail to our ever-growing Christmas card list.)    I had four solid reasons not to write it, which it turns out I [...]

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The Truth About Busyness

We’re just so busy. In all the years I had known her, the answer was always the same. “Why don’t you guys take some time out, just for the two of you?” We’re just so busy. One day it dawned on me that we’d been having the same conversation for eight years. The ugly truth [...]

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Grace, Goodness and Thanksgiving

“How have you seen God’s grace in your life?” It was the question posed to about 80 of us in a Sunday morning classroom. Without much thought, the guy to my left started talking about how thankful he was that he had such a great family and a beautiful home to share life in. The talk [...]

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My Two Brothers

My brothers were born two days apart. Four years and two days. I’m writing this on the day between their birthdays, a space, relative to my brothers, I’ve found myself in often over the years. Lest you get the wrong idea, let me explain. We grew up on a farm. Not the real beef or dairy kind from [...]

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