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Jen Bradbury
May 22 · 5 min read

Life from death

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As we stood at my mother-in-law’s casket, my nearly two-year-old nephew chased my four-year-old daughter around the empty funeral home room – something they could do since, thanks to the COVID-19 restrictions, the room was empty except for us.

...

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#Pandemic #children #babies #joy #hope #Holy Week #scripture #Jesus #death

Jen Bradbury
May 20 · 5 min read

On dance classes, motivation, & $50 costumes

At the start of the New Year, we signed our then 4-year old daughter, Hope, up for a dance class at the local park district.

Hope LOVES to dance. We’ve known that for a while and figured this would be a fun way for her to learn some skills and...

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#children #joy #parenting

Jen Bradbury
May 09 · 5 min read

What Nancy taught me

The weekend after I miscarried, my mother and father-in-law, Nancy & Keith, showed up at our house.

Truth be told, I didn’t want them there.

I didn’t want anyone there.

I was knee-deep in some of the most profound sadness I’d ever...

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#miscarriage #joy #grief #motherhood

Jen Bradbury
Mar 29 · 5 min read

Notes from the Pandemic: There Will Be Joy

Yesterday, I had a pretty awful mental health day. I spent much of the days in tears. Since writing has always been how I've processed and made sense of the world, I decided to write about the experience. The simple act of writing did my heart and...

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#joy #Pandemic #breastfeeding #parenting

Jen Bradbury
Aug 28 · 5 min read

Guest Post: The impact of a high school mission trip by Lindsey Coleman

My new book, A Mission That Matters: How To Do Short-Term Missions Without Long-Term Harm, is out! As a youth worker, I wholeheartedly believe that mission trips have the ability to impact teens in an incredibly transformative way. However,...

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#youth ministry #Missions #Rwanda #refugee #vocation #joy #grace #A Mission That Matters

Jen Bradbury
Jun 23 · 5 min read

18 tips for traveling with toddlers

My husband and I have traveled a LOT with our daughter, Hope. My in-laws joke that Hope has been on a plane more in her first two years than some people are in their entire lifetime. When people hear how much we've traveled with Hope, they often...

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#Rwanda #toddlers #travel #joy #parenting

Jen Bradbury
Apr 25 · 5 min read

Mama, Sing!

Today, I'm linking up with Kate Motaung's Five Minute Friday. The rules: Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

This week's prompt: Sing.

Sing 600x600

One of the worst weeks in my professional life occurred when I...

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#Five Minute Friday #Prayer #toddlers #joy #motherhood #parenting #worship

Jen Bradbury
Apr 21 · 5 min read

Review: The Gift of Hard Things by Mark Yaconelli

Filed in Book Review

The Yaconelli name is a familiar one to those in youth ministry. Mike Yaconelli was one of the founders of Youth Specialties and a legend in the youth ministry world. His son, Mark, is also a recognized figure in the youth ministry world.

One of...

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#story #burnout #joy #marriage #parenting #books

Tags

youth ministry books church Jesus parenting Missions scripture student leadership Leaders youth pastor babies Pandemic worship Prayer toddlers

Latest Posts

  • Life from death
  • On dance classes, motivation, & $50 costumes
  • What Nancy taught me
  • Notes from the Pandemic: There Will Be Joy
  • Guest Post: The impact of a high school mission trip by Lindsey Coleman
  • 18 tips for traveling with toddlers
  • Mama, Sing!
  • Review: The Gift of Hard Things by Mark Yaconelli

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