Stories

Rev. Karen Chraska shares her thoughts on God's restoration. God heals brokenness. Come celebrate the ultimate restoration with us this week for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter . May all who feel broken be healed! I am extremely fortunate that I have enjoyed good health throughout my life. The things that have caused me physical pain make me so grateful that typically I live in comfort. Just this week I had a root canal. Ugh. Unfortunately, not my first one. On... Read More

Denise Robinson shares her realization that restoration doesn't have to be work; it can simply be a time of rest: 2020 and 2021 were especially tough for me. I know what you’re thinking…wasn’t it tough for everyone? Yes, of course. I experienced emotions and feelings that I had never experienced before. It was a time of extreme pressure, extreme loss and then extreme burnout. I have experienced times in my life where I was so exhausted that I needed to take... Read More

Rev. Doug Meyer thinks about his personal restoration compared to restoring furniture: A number of years ago I decided to tackle restoring an old piece of furniture. It was your basic 100 year old chest of drawers. It was nothing fancy: a heavy oak dresser, 4 drawers, straight clean lines, covered with multiple layers of paint. How hard could it be? After a waltz around the paint aisles at Home Depot, I came upon the recommended toxic chemical used for stripping furniture. The... Read More

Alyssa Robinson shares what Laura Sennott taught her about God's restoration, using her garden as a teaching tool. I bought my first house in 2020. I was so proud and excited, and my family and friends shared in my excitement. But here’s the thing. Nobody warned me about the rude realities that come with homeownership. They were probably colluding with each other and whispering, “We got another one to take the plunge!” Why does every little update cost at least... Read More

Bob Mersereau shares his story of restoration. It took 20 years to learn how to trust God and give up on anger and resentment, but when he did he found a bottomless well of peace and love. My wife committed adultery. Four words no husband ever wants to be true. Yet they were. I knew. Yet I didn't know. At first, it was the little things in our relationship that were different. Not quite right. Even in good relationships, there are times when things seem a bit off. What... Read More

Dana Phillips is in the midst of God's restoration , and it began with a vision: Jesus restores us in the middle of our failures, mistakes, hurts, and brokenness. Sometimes it is one step backward, two steps forward. Sometimes it is a defining moment, other times it is a long journey. No matter what, Jesus’s willingness to go to the cross for us is the doorway to restoration. We have a multi-ethnic family built through birth and adoption: we have two white kids, one Korean... Read More

Rev. Daniel Humbert shares how God's restoration can be a time of quiet support from a friend: I’m the youngest of four—three boys and a girl. There were roughly 3 years separating each of us in age. Throughout my childhood and even into young adulthood, I admired the creativity, tenacity, and fortitude of my sister Diane. She was, after all, one female amongst three strong-tempered males in the family. She could always hold her own. Like many adult children, we... Read More

Van Weaver is our Butterfly Ministry Coordinator at Trietsch and today she shares her personal story of restoration : I met Nate in 2011. We went on a first date and instantly felt a connection. After that date, he came over for dinner every night for a year. After that first year, we decided to move in together, became engaged, and married in 2013. It was a whirlwind and so exciting, fun, and amazing, until 2016. It became common for us to get into arguments that I didn’t... Read More