LATELY

Though we've slowed down on the blog writing for this season as book and baby have geared up, we share "micro-blog" updates on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hopeheals) many times a week.

Here's a recap of what we've been up to lately...

(You can follow us @hopeheals)

BABY WOLF 2

My pregnancy has been blessedly uneventful as I enter the third trimester. Despite some fatigue and nausea at night, surprisingly, I've felt pretty well! I've even found some safe, new ways to engage James while preparing for life with a newborn. We would so appreciate your continued prayers for the safety and health of me and Baby Wolf 2 until he comes on July 2nd!

JONI TADA CONFERENCE PAINTING

Our friend, Joni Eareckson Tada, asked me to take part in a life-sized portrait, inspired by the feast in Luke 14, to be painted at her first Global Access Disability Conference. The artist, Hyatt Moore, painted me and almost two dozen others with various disabilities. It was a stunning reminder that God invites us all to have a seat at his table. {Watch the beautiful video below.}

[vimeo 120535615 w=1280 h=720]

BOOK WRITING

We are in the final stretch of intensive writing as we prepare to turn in the first draft of our book on June 1, which will be published by Zondervan and released in April 2016. We've been writing at home and at our local Starbucks and even at UCLA Hospital, but perhaps our most meaningful (and productive) writing occurred a few weeks ago while we were in Texas at the quietly beautiful Laity Lodge. It's was a replenishing few days with coffee at sunrise and porch swings at dusk, all set against the contemplative backdrop of the South Texas hill country. We will always remember writing about some of the most painful and most hopeful stories of our lives in that one-of-a-kind place.

TURNING 33

On March 8th, I turned 33, and on April 1, so did Jay! What a gift to adventure through another year of life together. And by all estimations, this year is shaping up to be a big one for us!