Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

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  • Attitude,  Faith

    Juggle or Battle? Not Comparing Pain or Circumstances

    January 21, 2017 /

      Renewed inspiration! Fresh starts! Excellent intentions! Or not. For numerous people the idea of making big changes in January usually conveys feelings of, “Why bother?” or “It didn’t work last year,” or my personal favorite, “Tomorrow. Yeah, definitely tomorrow.” When we started our student-based ministry eleven years ago I wondered if my structured life might ever return. This mainly irritated me because I’m a bit of a perfectionist by nature – organized, systematic, color-coded, logical, and… tired. Even with our students gone now I still err on the side of weary and bitter, but not purposely. Between juggling marriage, motherhood, housework, exercise, neighbors, newsletters, blog posts and a 25-page…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    8 Things I’m Teaching My American Pre-Adults in Mexico

    November 12, 2016

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018
  • Faith,  Mexico,  Missions,  South of the Border

    Last Christmas in Baja? Wrestling with the Unknown and Another Big Move

    December 17, 2016 /

      The C9 bulbs sit snug and proud, wrapped around the palm. It’s fat, freshly trimmed, and still full of green. Through the fall and into winter, palms don’t change. “It looks like a pineapple,” my husband says. “A glowing one.” He’s right; our own tropical Christmas. But whose kids are those?     The holiday is celebrated here, yes, but you have to drive to the cities to see red and green explosions alongside gifts in excess. A peek into our low-income town will show you single strands of dim lights, old-school decor and a few lawn ornaments you might consider tacky. Big deal. We who possess bright white…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    The Day I Deleted Her Info: Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Friend

    June 18, 2018

    A Neighborhood Divided: Years of Friends, Months of Loss, Weeks of Grief

    September 24, 2021
    Trailer Life Baja Mexico Missionary

    Home Sweet Trailer in Baja: Abraham’s Forever Faith in My Face

    February 6, 2021
  • Courage,  Faith,  Missions

    Cross-Cultural Patience: People Wait for God in Hamburg, Germany Too

    October 22, 2016 /

      I made a new friend! She’s on the other side of the Atlantic, but technology doesn’t discriminate when an American writer in Germany and an American writer in Mexico bond over the not-so-popular W-word. We both love Jesus and we both wrestle with waiting. Works for me! Please give a big “Welcome/Bienvenida/Willkommen” to Caitlin Lieder.   Moving to Germany meant stepping out in faith in a big way. It was a new level of trusting Jesus; we moved internationally a few times but never with four kids under five years old, and we did not make the decision lightly. We talked and prayed with our small group, pastor, and trusted family members for over a year…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Two Cops & a Black Eye: Our Up Close & Personal Encounter with Physical Abuse

    February 4, 2022

    Baby Steps, Bob: How to Replace the Overwhelming Thing with the Next Thing

    September 23, 2022

    Mental Fitness: Decluttering Your Mind Today so You Can Organize Your Thoughts Tomorrow

    August 2, 2024
  • Courage,  Faith,  Mexico,  Missions,  Patience,  Spanish

    In the Eye of the Swarm: Learning Patience While Waiting for Everything to Change

    October 15, 2016 /

      They come in near silence, minding their business and ready to work. They never need blueprints, complain of the load or ask for time off. Their days are long and full of physical labor. They don’t work for the weekend; the word itself does not exist in their world. They are not lazy, selfish or greedy. They toil as a team with their boss in mind; everything exists for her. But amidst their fantastic attributes, they are squatters by nature. They move in without asking, build without permits, and defend their stolen property with a vengeance. So who do you call when they join forces, come out swinging, and threaten…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    When You Stand to Teach & Sit Back Down Taught: Unexpected Lessons in the Trees

    April 1, 2022

    Two Cops & a Black Eye: Our Up Close & Personal Encounter with Physical Abuse

    February 4, 2022

    When it’s Finally Time to Launch Your Business Idea. Small Starts are Better Than No Starts, Right?

    February 27, 2021
  • Easter,  Faith,  Missionary Shenanigans,  Missions,  Parenting

    Easter Fail

    March 26, 2016 /

    I knew he was familiar with the Easter story, but I had never heard our seven-year-old try to re-tell it on his own. We only read the full account of Jesus’ death and resurrection once a year; I expected him to get a couple details wrong. Pride welled when he began. Then perfectionism kicked in and disappointment welled when he continued. Not disappointment in my boy—in me and my parenting skills. We use a visual aid called Resurrection Eggs and the carton contains a dozen plastic eggs, each one containing an object to help convey the meaning of Easter. For example, in the orange egg you’ll find praying hands, and the…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    New Media to Buy for Yourself and Give Away: 4 Books and 2 Songs by My Talented Author Friends

    March 17, 2023

    8 Sweet Easter Ideas: Fun Gifts for Kids, Teens & Adults

    March 17, 2018
  • Faith,  Mexico,  Missionary Shenanigans,  Missions,  South of the Border,  Spanish

    10 Años of Blessings… and Mud

    February 27, 2016 /

    Where were you on February 28, 2006? Not exactly a national day to remember, I know. But for us it was the day we moved to another country. To another culture. To another life. Our oldest was four, I was 35 weeks prego with our second, and we spent our first night in Baja, Mexico. Actually, in El Porvenir. But more specifically, in a 5th Wheel trailer. Have you ever tried to sum up ten years of your life in a few hundred words? My life in suburbia could be condensed rather easily: got married, got a job, got a puppy, bought a house, chaperoned a bunch of proms, pulled weeds,…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    The Day I Deleted Her Info: Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Friend

    June 18, 2018

    Morning Has Broken Me: Why Early Peace & Quiet Usually Wins the Daily Struggle Over Sleeping In

    April 12, 2024

    September Fire, Welcome Rain: The Disaster in SoCal This Week and How Your Family Can Help

    September 9, 2022
  • Christmas,  Courage,  Faith,  Friends,  Vacation

    Carols In The Closet

    February 20, 2016 /

    She looked up from her phone and spoke with authority. “We need to take cover. Now.” Her children followed like obedient ducks. But we, the west coast visitors who had never received any such emergency text, questioned her urgency. Right now? In the middle of dinner? Two families and a live-in mum around a table, eating simple pizza and crudités before the impending Christmas feast, ditched our plates, grabbed a few carrots and vacated. I felt a blog post coming on, so I snapped this pic and followed the fam. Our friend Erik (well aware of how long this might last) grabbed his guitar and yelled to our oldest, “Micah—grab…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    The Secret Society of Christmas Anxiety: How to Calm the Expectations

    December 4, 2017

    All I Want for Christmas This Year is a Book. And Star Wars Baby Yoda.

    December 12, 2020

    It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Chaos: 4 Ways I Fight the Christmas Crazy

    December 14, 2019
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Welcome!

You’re here! And I’m Carrie. From full-time camp kid to unconventional missionary for 12 años in a 3rd-world country, I’m now a profesh organizer and writer who loves plants and guac. Life is short, so I’m smiling while I have all my teeth, but I still have issues. Always remember… when life hands you lemons, give them back. You deserve avocados.

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