What do you talk about around the dinner table? For Andrea Fontana and her husband, Henri, their dinner talk is rooted directly in the Gospel. They talk about compassion with their kids, discussing why they volunteer or what they’ve learned. Andrea chooses to encourage her family to volunteer regularly and earnestly, taking her kids with…
I hate goodbyes, conclusions of books, and the final bites of a perfect meal. Every time I reach an ending of something beautiful, my heart aches just a bit; I want it to continue. Admitting that farewells are part of life—friends move away, new jobs begin, and even the best stories have a beginning and…
When I was younger, I used to think the only way to “do missions” was by becoming a missionary. My definition of “missionary” was narrow, working from the idea that missionaries went to other countries to do dramatic life-changing intercessions or start churches. If I was passionate about evangelism, I couldn’t consider any other work…
“What do you do for work?” This question reflects how deeply intertwined work is within our conversations, relationships, and lives. Asked automatically, it is a reflection of how we relate and connect to others, or else feel a lack thereof. Lately, I’ve been confronted with the intense culture of work. As summer internships rapidly approach,…
Whenever I get home from a long day, I expect a full pantry, fridge, and cabinets. As one of my mom’s love languages is food, she ensures my family never goes a day without a good meal. One of my mom’s running jokes is the way I start my mornings: flinging open our two-doored fridge…
Oftentimes, our relationships with money, the world, and ourselves grow tangled overtime. We lose focus, get discouraged, or forget to steward our material possessions correctly. In a beautiful effort to work out the knots of these relationships, head of LOVE Inc. Rich Henderson has created a program: budget coaching. By the end of this program,…
When my dad was in college, he made a groundbreaking discovery—whenever he visited an ATM, it spit out as much money as he wished. He termed it a “magic money box.” Whatever he wanted, he could get. Later, when he got a credit card, he enjoyed the same revelation as before: swiping the card paid…
Everyone needs to eat. For the Bay Area, such a need is frequently realized in the form of an onslaught of ethnic cuisines from all over the world. In my own neighborhood, I only need to walk a few blocks before I come to a strip of restaurants boasting Ethiopian, Korean, Burmese, and Japanese food—all…
Hello to my brothers and sisters of Grace South Bay! I’m Mei (Corina) Chen, Grace’s new Compassion Coordinator intern. I am so excited to share with you all a new project I’m hoping will continue to grow as our hearts grow too: Stories of Compassion. My parents have begun Stories of Grace, and within and…