Kristen Welch

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Ep. 21 | Hike More, Worry Less

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I’m an excellent worrier and a mediocre hiker. Hey, we all have our gifts.

My word for 2020 is celebrate. I chose this word -not because I’ve made it over the mountain, but because I don’t stop and celebrate enough on the journey. Life is full of mountains–all kinds– that loom and leer and either scare us half to death or challenge us to climb.

Here’s to hiking more, worrying less and celebrating in-between.

Click below to listen to my first podcast of the new year.

[Podcast Summary]

I’m a mountain girl. Although I live much closer to the south beaches of Texas, I tolerate the sand but I love the mountains. There’s just something peaceful about the gorgeous views, rolling heights, and crisp air. So as often we can, my family heads to the mountains to enjoy long and challenging hikes, clocking hours and hours together in all kinds of terrain. We go to the mountains as often as we can. And when we can’t put our feet on them, we daydream about them.

When I long to get away, crave alone time with God, desire peace, I find it in higher altitudes. But mostly, I love the mountains because they heal me and simultaneously scare me half to death. They are very personal—not just because I love a good outdoor adventure but also because God has been writing an incredible story that has led me to the edge of the impossible. He hasn’t just led me to the foot of the mountains. He’s asked me to climb them, even though I’m afraid of heights. He’s asked me to believe he is able to move them.

We stand on the edge of the cliffs in our lives, and although we are afraid of stepping into the unknown, terrified where we will land and unsure of how to overcome, we do not run away. We stand firm in the face of the impossible, muster up as much faith as we can—even as small as a mustard seed—and we take one step.

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It’s Because of Jesus

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"There's only one reason we're still together," I told my husband quietly as we were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner one night. He stopped loading the dishwasher and looked at me,  "What?" "There's only one reason we are still married and our home is semi-functional," I said louder, over our kids arguing about what to watch on TV. "And happy?" He said sarcastically with a laugh. "Honey, what are you talking about?" I reminded him of the week of bad news we'd heard in our circle ... Read More

My 10 For 2020

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I've been thinking a lot about the past and the future lately. It might have to do with my oldest child turning twenty years old today or maybe it's that 2020 is the ten year anniversary of beginning Mercy House Global. Maybe this is just what old people do. Ha. I want this year to be about moving forward, but mostly, I want it to be about moving back to the basics. The first Sunday of the New Year, my pastor asked the congregation to commit to the following nine things. (I added the 10th ... Read More

2020: Celebrate 10 Years With Me

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I will never forget the first time I met a girl who didn’t know her birth date. It completely shocked me. I was in Kenya visiting Rehema House, the maternity homes that Mercy House Global funds and I was chatting with one of the teen moms and I asked her old she was. She said, “I don’t know.” I was confused. How could someone not know their age? “When is your birthday?” I asked, thinking I could help her do the math. I don’t know that either. Her words, the longing in them, broke my ... Read More

The Next Ten Years

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Ten years ago today I was a nervous wreck. I was blogging as a full time job (what?) and I was applying for my first passport for my first third world blogging trip with Compassion International. I was so scared to say yes, but compelled to say it anyway. It's a feeling that has never gone away. My kids were 3, 7 and 9 years old and I had just celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary. How could I have known what the next ten years would bring? The next decade would absolutely wreck ... Read More

Ep. 20 | There Is Enough

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(click below to listen to this post as a podcast) Friday is a favorite day of the week for most people because it signifies the end of work or school and the beginning of the weekend which generally means rest, fun or both. This year, especially the last six months of Fridays, has meant an hour drive into Houston to visit with refugees that are employed as homeworkers of Mercy House Global. We’ve had some tough years at our little non-profit, but none have been like 2019. It’s been full of ... Read More

Hello Monday.

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On a whim, I cut six inches off my hair this week. My baby turns 13 today. Thirteen. I think this makes me old (see below). My college girl is home from college. In her printmaking class (she’s an art major;  she carved a huge piece of wood, rolled ink on it and created this print) and framed it for our anniversary (swoon). I am celebrating my 25th anniversary this week. Oh, I also turn 47 years old on Thursday. I’m going on a cruise for a few days with my family to celebrate ... Read More

There’s No Time Like the Present. Give the Gift of Presence This Christmas

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It was the biggest Christmas poinsettia I'd ever seen. She held it out, blocking my view, filling the space between us. My arms automatically reached out and our hands touched as I received her gift. And even though I couldn't see her face, I knew she was smiling. Because I was, too. It turns out when you show up at the door of a refugee on a regular basis,  your presence is a gift you both get to unwrap because He is also present. We drank strong, hot coffee, and ate the good kind of ... Read More