South Africa is back on lockdown, and it’s easy to turn attention toward what we cannot do according to restrictions. But, you know what’s so cool… We can still pray together! This week, I had an opportunity to host a live, international prayer event with Help Club for Moms. Moms from around the world came together to hear encouragement from God’s Word and to pray together. It was so powerful, I realized that our church could still access the power of corporate prayer together. The prayer ministry I’ve been so excited to start… is starting! We don’t need to meet together physically to pray together. God’s power is here. No walls required!

Happy New Year from the Ladd family! News seems more extreme than ever on the global scale. Thanks for taking a moment to zoom in to our little corner of the world. We have much to share with you, and we can do it with pictures and bullet points! Here’s some noteworthy news from us. HINT: Hang in till the end or skip ahead: The last part is the best!

We’re reaching back into the archives today! I originally published this story on November 5, 2012. This Thanksgiving season and this talk about giving made me think of it again.

There’s just nothing like watching a miracle unfold in your very own hands. The awe, wonder and supernatural power of a miracle breaks off chains, swings locked doors wide open, and makes the impossible possible in your life. If you happen to be low on faith or hope this holiday season, borrow some of mine. These aren’t empty calories. They are real, filling, and there are plenty of leftovers! Enjoy the read!

This Thanksgiving was different because this year is different - and so are we.. Like our celebration, our relationships went deeper rather than wider this year.

The photos say it all. What you won’t find pictures of is a Thanksgiving Minute-to-Win-It competition and a toddler turkey relay (because of the sheer madness in the moment). ‘Tis the season to do the things you’ve never had time for before and to go all-in to create memories for time you won’t ever get back. And can we all take just a minute to celebrate how beautiful the toddler turkey artwork is? Great photo booth backdrop!ings you’ve never had time for before and to go all-in to create memories for time you won’t ever get back.

I’m the queen of efficiency. It’s a blessing and a curse. Everybody at my house knows if you can’t keep up with Mom, you might just get run over. (Including Benjamin’s ball..)

Days are calculated to the minute. Months are planned in advance. I rarely do one thing at a time. Lifa enters the kitchen like a soldier marching in to receive orders, and Chris stays out.

It’s Thanksgiving in America today. Wherever you live, I hope you give thanks. It changed my life, redeemed my hope, and infused my home with joy. Life may be hard today, but God sets the table for you in the presence of your enemies. (Psalm 23.) Find one thing to be thankful for today. And watch this video!

I’m still thinking of GoGo’s life and the way it changed the trajectory of mine. (See GoGo’s tribute here.)

Every day you can turn on the news and see how one person changed another person’s life with evil. It’s the people not featured... the moms and dads and teachers and gogos... who choose good that are changing the world for better.

You were the first GoGo I knew, so I called you “GoGo” like it was your name... so everybody else did too. It took me years to find out your actual name.

You took me into your home and loved me like I was yours long before we knew how to verbally communicate with each other. You took Lifa into your home and loved him before I did.

I always had great friendships while I was a student. I grew up learning how to make friends in intentional, Christian environments. That led me to making choices toward intentional, Christian friendships when I was in college and graduate school. It was those friendships - the ones where I chose to be intentional with other Christian women - that changed my life and helped me learn how to have a real relationship with Jesus.

Have you ever tried to make a change with no idea how to start? But you knew you needed to change? Whether it is health, marriage, family, or a bad habit, big changes are daunting. The minute I look at the whole enchilada of transformation awaiting, I feel overwhelmed and would rather curl up into a ball than start that ever-so-tricky and usually unrewarding step one.

Invasion of privacy doesn’t really exist in the Ladd house... because there’s not much privacy to invade. Chris and I share passwords to everything and copy each other in on emails or messages to a person of the opposite sex. All of Lifa’s online chats and access to devices are routinely checked. We see what kids are talking about, how they communicate and what is shaping their worldviews. Because of that, I want to say this to all the grown ups in the world:

If you’ve been around me or my writing for more than a minute, you’ve probably noticed I talk a lot about the Help Club for Moms. I reached out to the leader, Deb, over a year ago and asked if I could bring Help Club to South Africa and “make it a thing”.

I’ve lost count of how many phone calls, prayers and encouraging discussions I’ve had with Deb and the Help Club team members since then. I’ve been honored to write regularly for the international ministry.

We were created for eternal life, therefore we want our earthly lives to impact the generations to come. I think that’s why I can get flustered by the mundane, repetitive motions of life: crumb cleaning, work commuting, zoom calling, laundry folding, diaper changing, car washing. I probably “should” say that every countertop you wipe down is for the glory of God. It’s true that it’s harder to leave a legacy on two months of toast crumbs. But also.... Maybe there’s more.

Last week, I wrote a short, silly blog about hunting rainbows. We were up to our ears in laundry because the rain had been relentless. In that blog, I celebrated the end of the drought, Benjamin’s love for mud puddles, and mentioned that we don’t have a tumble dryer.

GUESS WHAT!?!…

Lifa’s got one more week home from school. There was a long time of no school, and then there was school, and then school closed again. We’ve loved having him home, and we’ve had some wonderful moments in our beautiful city together. My boys love each other with a very special love, and I thank God for that every single day.

But despite all the pretty pictures and sweet stories, we’ve got some boredom, grumbling and pity parties happening at the Ladd house. If you read yesterday’s post, you might know that it’s “Find a Way to Win” week, so we created an action plan!

Saturday was Mandela Day - a global call to action that celebrates the idea that each individual has the power to transform the world, the ability to make an impact. As you can imagine for us here in South Africa, Mandela Day is a BIG DEAL! Nelson Mandela fought for social justice for 67 years, so we celebrate his birthday on July 18th each year by spending 67 minutes to serve others.

Two steps forward and one step back... Sometimes it seems like one step forward and four back... anybody with me?

I started online personal training with David in April… I haven’t given up. I feel myself getting stronger. I’m healthier and in better shape than I’ve ever been. But there’s a bully in my brain that tells me I’m not doing well enough, not pushing hard enough, and not ever going to make it further than where I am right now because of all those setbacks. Surely every other person in the world reaches goals without an off week or two, right? I should be breaking personal records every single week, right?

The basic rules that apply to humans do not apply to Benjamin. Things like gravity, physics, awareness of pain and range of motion. Lately, our house sounds like this: “BENJAMIN, Shouldn’t you be afraid of SOMETHING!?!” - or - “BENJAMIN, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO DO THE MOST DANGEROUS THINNNGGGGGGGSSSSS!?!”

Sometimes finding a way to win is being really strong, disciplined, and overcoming obstacles. And sometimes it’s abandoning all the plans and expectations you had and operating within your capacity for today. This is a weird time, and it’s ok to not be ok. Just don’t be “not ok” alone!

Maybe you’re a mom, and you know all about that infamous “mom guilt”. Or maybe you’re a dad, a doctor, a friend, a spouse a student, a CEO, a truck driver, a teacher, or just a person trying to maneuver life since Coronavirus. We all pick up things that aren’t ours to carry. A lot of things try to name us. We instinctively look for our “job” or purpose in life, and we want to be good at it. We want to do good and be known for good.