Kinda Crunchy

Death has a way of teaching us how to live. It teaches us to lean in to love. Yesterday, we said, “goodbye” to our beloved dog of 14 years, Leroy. For those of you who knew Leroy, you know what I mean when I say he was dear, and he was crazy. On a sunny spring day in Huntington Beach, Caleb went to the animal shelter and picked-up a very handsome, and very rambunctious pup about 14 years ago. He…

I Guess I’m a Dirty Christian

Image from Catholic.org “Christians shouldn’t be afraid to get their hands dirty to save others from sin” There’s a movement flowing through Christianity at the moment. A movement that perhaps was sparked by thought leaders like Brennan Manning, Martin Luther King Jr, Henri Nouwen, Marianne Williamson and Shaine Claiborne. The movement was set ablaze after the election when so many Christians,…

*This was originally written in August 2016* Dear Progressive Church, My Friends, I can look you square in the face and tell you all of the reasons why we shouldn’t drive faster than the speed limit. I know it increases mortality rates. But yeah, I just got a speeding ticket for going 15 miles over the speed limit a couple of weeks ago so… So my point is, what I am about to write about isn’t…

Dear Christian Men, We Need You

First, I want to thank you for reading this. Whether you subscribe to my blog (extra points!) or a woman in your life forwarded it to you (even better, extra points with her!). Just the fact that you’re reading this is evidence that you care about the women in your life. I appreciate your heart. This really isn’t another political opinion article trying to sway you to vote for the candidate of my…

I Have a Podcast!!

Hey Faithful Readers! You’ve hung in here with me for almost 4 years now as I sporadically write whenever I get the itch. I want to thank you so much for your loyalty. I’m excited to share some news with you! I have a new project that I have been working on for a few weeks now, it’s a podcast called “Mountains are for Moving.” There we will tell stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary…

Seeing Black & White: Everything is Developmental

For one of the first times in my life, I walked away. I actually walked away after feeling the sting of having my son being insulted (for being Black), being accused of being “sheltered,” and told I was “contributing to the problem.” I walked away and let me tell you, I’m not the kind to walk away. I walked away because something finally clicked (and maybe because my husband HIGHLY recommended…

It's time that we sit and listen to our fellow citizens of color.

“I want you to think about what you want your white friends to know.” Tasha sipped her Topo Chico casually. These conversations are familiar for her. As founder of Be the Bridge, a group focused on racial reconciliation, it comes with the job description. I sat there, not feeling quite as comfortable. I felt burdened suddenly. Scared. There is so much I’ve learned in the last few years as I…

4th of July Fun: Photo Dump

Living in Buda really allows us to enjoy the best of both worlds, city life in Austin isn’t far away but on days like the 4th of July we get to indulge in some small town fun. It really feels like our own Stars Hallow. I love it. I love it to the point that I almost cried about 5 times on the morning of the “parade” down Main St. Our family is gold. My heart is so full. Kids of all ages strolled…

During this election season, the candidates will do whatever they can to trigger our fears.

The other. What does “the other” look like to you? “The other” is that person or people group that I am uncomfortable with. They are different. They are to be feared. We ALL have “others” in our minds no matter how progressive we are. We have fears around certain groups of people because our brains are literally wired to categorize in that way. It’s a survival function. It’s our reptilian brain…

Here it is!! Our Adoption Story: Part Two!

He wasn’t the biggest fan of some random dude in a robe holding him. It’s official!! On June 1st, 2016, Kendric Scott became a legal part of our family. We had a wonderful “Gotcha Day” celebration last weekend with lots of friends and food. It’s still sort of surreal to be honest. It’s hard to believe that all of the time and work has finally come to fruition. I think now it’s time for me to…

Our Adoption Story: Part One and An Apology

We talked about it for almost two years and now it’s finally happened! We would like to formally introduce Kendric Scott Snyder to you all! Thank you so much for the ongoing prayers and support. Every day I have to pinch myself because I can’t believe he’s finally with us. Isn’t he crazy cute?? Many people ask, how long did the process take? With adoption, this seems to be the question that we…

The Capsule Wardrobe Experiment: The Essential Piece

Phase one of the Capsule Wardrobe Experiment was scary but liberating. I felt free to let go of pieces that weren’t serving me anymore and it was glorious. I celebrated. I took three HUGE bags of our clothes that were in bad condition to H&M to be recycled. (Not at all awkward, by the way). Then I donated some more that were in good condition. I hung-up or folded-up the lucky ones- I knew that I…

Keeping it Simple: Capsule Wardrobe Experiment

I’m sure you’re all shocked that the author of a blog called “Kinda Crunchy” jumped on the minimalist wardrobe bandwagon. I just couldn’t help myself. It was just too awesomely crunchy to pass-up. There were a few factors that contributed to my decision. One of them being that I felt like every morning I stressed over what to wear because I had too many clothes that didn’t really fit or weren’t…

To My Loyal Readers

Hey Friends, It’s been a long time since I’ve regularly posted here and I’ll admit that I’ve been trying to find my bearings since we moved to Texas in January. I’ve gotten really into Noonday Collection which has been an amazing support system, outlet for creativity and fundraising opportunity. So that’s good. I’ve also been really busy trying to get all of our adoption paperwork up to date with…

Waiting for the Plus Sign

I remember holding that pregnancy stick ever so carefully, concentrating on peeing just right. Setting it down as if it were a ticking bomb and then backing away tentatively, knowing that it could change my life forever. That cheap little plastic stick would be the prophet of my destiny. Two minutes seemed like a really, really long time to wait. And when month after month, the prophet pee…

Serving Jesus When You’re Covered in Spit-Up

Jenny and Michael are going to Africa… again. They’re going to de-worm a million kids, build the area’s first university, nearly eradicate West Nile Virus, and then end it all by awkwardly bobbing to worship music while dripping in sweat surrounded by ever-grateful dancing townspeople. (Please excuse the gross stereotyping and ridiculous exaggeration- it’s all coming from a bitter mind.) The…

Resources for Kids Who’ve Been Exposed to a Natural Disaster

Howdy from Texas, As I’m sure you’ve heard, there has been devastating flooding here in Central Texas. There have also been several tornadoes. Being a mother and former therapist, my heart is breaking for the children who have been impacted by these events.  Navigating through trauma can be really difficult for parents. The most important thing is to let children process it. When our emotions are…