“You’re not moving, are you?” asked one of my neighbours with a concerned look on her face. “No, I’m just trying to get more organized at home,” I reassured her. But I could see why she thought I might be getting ready to move. Several of our neighbours had left recently, and I had been stacking a number of boxes beside the garage for the next thrift store pickup. That’s when … [Read more...] about Decluttering outwardly and inwardly
April Yamasaki
April Yamasaki is a pastor, author, editor, and spiritual formation mentor. She currently serves as resident author for Valley CrossWay Church, editor of Rejoice! magazine, part of a mentoring group for a doctor of ministry student, and often speaks in churches and other settings. Her next book will be released this June: Hope Beyond Our Sorrows: Learning to Live with Life-Changing Loss. Learn more at AprilYamasaki.com, WhenYouWorkfortheChurch.com, and Writing and Other Acts of Faith on Substack.
Are you ready to be a spiritual formation mentor?
Last year I was invited to serve as a spiritual formation mentor for a student entering a Doctor of Ministry program. What?? My husband had been a mentor as part of our congregation’s mentoring program that paired youth with adults. Business and other organizations sometimes have formal mentoring programs to support and nurture new employees. But the expression spiritual … [Read more...] about Are you ready to be a spiritual formation mentor?
Don’t worry, be thankful
On the weekend before Thanksgiving, I hosted fourteen people for supper. It all started the previous year, when I said, “I don’t see why our church couldn’t have a team in the Ride for Refuge to raise funds for Inner Hope Youth Ministries.” Then after last year’s team of four walkers, this year I said, “I don’t see why we couldn’t do the walk/run off-site and have a chili … [Read more...] about Don’t worry, be thankful
Are You Feeling Writerly?
Last spring I received word that the Fraser Valley Christian Writers group would be officially closing. The coronavirus pandemic had put an end to their monthly gatherings, and the group had never regained its footing. Although I live in the Fraser Valley, am a Christian, and a writer, I’d never been a regular part of the group. But I knew some of the writers who regularly … [Read more...] about Are You Feeling Writerly?
Simplify
Last night I made Thai basil ground pork and rice for supper. Only the kitchen counter was still cluttered with dishes from breakfast and lunch, and instead of clearing a spot for my cutting board, measuring cups, and other assorted utensils and ingredients, I worked around and among everything that was already there. For some reason, I thought that was simpler and … [Read more...] about Simplify