Last week, Amanda and I had a chance to go to the American Baptist Church’s Biennial Conference in Puerto Rico. It was an excellent trip.  After what my family and I had been through with the loss of my sister, it was a perfect few days away for us to rest, recover, explore, and learn. We loved our time in Puerto Rico, especially the rain forest there (it was seriously great!). The beauty of it reminded me of how beautiful our

Happy Wednesday!  Wednesday is the day that I write these Central thoughts, and it’s also the day that I lead the men’s bible study in the morning. And to say the least, the last few Wednesdays have not gone as planned. First, Jonah was sick and I stayed home to take care of him. Then Eli was sick and I had to stay home with him. Then I was sick and had to stay home myself. Then, of course, my sister died

Hello Central family and friends. I hope you’re doing well in Wednesday morning. As you’ve probably heard, my older sister Rayna unexpectedly passed away last Friday from a cardiac arrest. For our family and her family (husband Keith and 8 children), we are still coming out of shock as the reality of our loss is sinking in.We wanted to sincerely thank you for all of your prayers, your support, and your care throughout this hard time. It has meant a

If you’ve been outside – or even just looked outside today – you know: today is a weird day.  The smoke from the Canadian wildfires has flooded our air and everything looks different. It looks like we’re living in a vintage photo or something…it’s so odd! It caused me to reflect a bit on our vision. Our ability to see is such a delicate thing, but also so crucial for our lives. I wear contact lenses every day, and it’s amazing