I love to reminisce on the most impactful moments of my life and trace back to the event that led to it. There are so many small moments that gather together to create these significant ...

“I love helping people, I love serving others, I love doing good, and I love music.” --Jackie Olando
Members of Big Ocean Women believe that we can have a powerful impact. We believe that...

I just finished a marvelous book, “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi. I don’t do this often enough. I am a compulsive reader and have trouble limiting myself to sensible sessions. Once I start...

​

Otters have returned to the river near my home. 
To be fair, I didn’t know that the otters were gone, or that they had ever lived there in the first place...

As I was unpacking after our recent move, I found a small framed cross-stitch I had received as a young teen. It showed a little girl kneeling and holding a teddy bear with the words, “Listen to your…

Lead Photo credit: Nick Fewings via Unsplash After more than a decade, we recently purchased a new car. It is equipped with all sorts of navigation and safety features that seem more bewildering than…

Dr. Hedwig A. Ngwa Gender and Development Consultant; BOW Cameroon WAVE Leader, WAVE of Hope, Peace, and Resilience; Founder and Executive Director, NIMO CARE Cameroon. ngwaakumah@gmail.com There are…

I used to be a part of an intensely competitive legal group. I loved being a part of this, as we worked together to build and create legal arguments and compete against other teams. However, for both…

Sometimes I’ve had to tell people to stop doing certain things. Whether it’s rude language or inappropriate actions, I find myself saying, “Knock it off.” You’d expect that I would feel so proud of…

Together we walk along pathways we have only begun to imagine; or, A guide to creating extraordinary maps of impossible destinations in order to find our way Imagine it with me. We are walking down a…

I still remember well as I flew off my bike into the middle of three lanes of fast-moving traffic. I was a missionary in Taiwan, and I had been biking quickly along a large and busy street to get to…

A well known poem by Robert Frost states: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it…

AUNTIE NANE’S OH FOR OH-WESOME OTA IKA RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 1 32 oz bag of frozen fish fillet (swai, tilapia, tuna or mahi mahi) 2 cucumbers 3 tomatoes Green onions 1-2 bell peppers (any color) 1 can…

September often signals students heading back to school, sometimes in unfamiliar places away from family. As those we love set out to seek wisdom and knowledge, we pray for their success and also…

The tenet for this month states that we seek after knowledge and wisdom, and I have always thought of it that way: that I need to put in the effort of learning so I can be self-sufficient, educated,…

They walk in gaggles down the street, children of all ages and heights and levels of awkward grace on this, the first day of school for the year. My children have long since grown up and moved on,…

At times in my life I have felt further from God than I would like to be. During one of those times, I decided to test myself a little to see if the distance was perhaps due to me. My life stays very…

One of our best teachers is failure. We learn from our mistakes. But sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we stay so caught up in what we think is right that we never learn to see things from a different…

Children have a way of reminding us that the world is still astonishing. Their curiosity is unfiltered, their excitement unrestrained, and their hunger to understand how things work is a daily…

Ginger Creams From Marj Hafen, Norma Hendrickson’s mom 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg, well beaten 1/2 cup molasses or honey 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp…

I feel like the last few months have flown by. My family has added a new daughter-in-law, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, traveled together, and moved to a new city. I was thinking about how…

About a week ago, I went down to my aunt and uncle’s house to help babysit their children while they remodeled parts of their home. During my stay, I was talking to my uncle about interpersonal and…

When I got married, I set a goal for myself. I wanted to be a great husband and decided that I was never going to make my wife sad. I consciously worked to do everything I could to make her happy,…

When I think of my mother-in-law, I always think of deviled eggs. You know deviled eggs. You boil an egg. Cut it in two. Remove the yolk. Make a filling with that same yolk and put it back in the…

Shelli’s Mother-in-law’s Deviled Eggs Boil Eggs - although you can make as few as 2-3 eggs, I find it best to start with an even dozen, and add more if you are making deviled eggs for a group. Peel…

What is the last decision you made? Each of us makes innumerable choices every day, usually without thinking twice about them. It is often only when a choice has a particularly powerful impact that…

“We are free to choose and willingly accept responsibility for our choices.” The women in the Eldoret Kenya WAVE and their president, Immaculate Nachaki, embody this month's tenet. In a recent…

I am grateful for the ability to have choice in my life. Whether that’s to choose what to eat in the morning or what business I work for. I’m grateful to be able to choose what to do in my day. The…

“You have agency and you are free to choose. But there is actually no free agency. Agency has its price. You have to pay the consequences of your choices.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf About a year…

One of my deeper fears in life is to sing a song as a soloist in front of others. I am so afraid of it actually, that I only sing 'solo' when I am at home. The fear runs deep enough inside of me that…

“Do what you think is best.” – My mother, most days of my childhood (much to my chagrin) Recently my husband (and I) had to make a decision regarding his employment. The decision was so overwhelming…

A friend once made an observation about me. “You like to do everything fast.” She knew me well. I like quick recipes, packing lots of things into a day, speed reading through material to extract the…

“You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.” —Fred Rogers A brief look over my…

When I was growing up, there was a song sung in the children’s meetings at church that always hurt my young heart a little. The chorus started with, “Fathers are so special, with a very special…

“Every Father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.”-Charles Kettering My dad has always been the rock of my life. When I struggle, feel frustrated, or simply need…

When I was in graduate school, my wife and I had one car, so I would usually bike or rollerblade to school so that she had access to the car throughout the day. At one busy intersection, I would find…

TENET: “ We value the irreplaceable role of fathers and build interdependent relationships with men.” A real father is not only a provider, but also a protector, mentor, teacher, and emotional…

Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican breakfast, known for being simple, comforting, and endlessly customizable. They’re one of my personal favorites. You can make them spicy or mild, change the color of…

My father was my best friend growing up. He doesn’t remember this, but I remember him getting a flower for me every year on my birthday. They were the fake ones so that they wouldn’t die, and I had a…

Big Ocean Women sponsored our first annual Maternal Leadership Summit on Mother’s Day weekend in May. A summit is defined as the highest point of a mountain and also a meeting of leaders from two or…

"What do you do when conditions are not in your favor? You build anyway." —Simone Sanders Townsend. This week I was sitting in my summer writing class, which is a marathon three-hour crash course in…

This month we celebrate our feminine nature and biology and how it empowers us as women, especially through the blessings of our sacred procreative power. I was fascinated again as I reviewed our…

Lead Photo Credit: Yunustug via Canva This month’s tenet highlights the importance of understanding and honoring our feminine biology, including the natural rhythms of menstruation. For many girls,…

My first kitchen table was an impractical, small thing, made entirely of glass and perfectly square and barely 3 feet across, large enough for a chair at each side where it was set in a small area…

When I look in the mirror, it is so easy to focus on the imperfections I see. I’m usually looking to get ready, to see how I need to apply makeup or fix my hair or be sure that my clothes fit…

Humans are considered the most advanced of the life forms on earth, yet our babies are the most helpless for the longest length of time. As I have reflected on why this might be, a few things came to…

I recently read an article about Yellowstone National Park . Every year, millions of visitors to the park have enjoyed the natural hot springs. Unfortunately, over the years some of those visitors…

There are moments in life when we are invited to wake up. Not abruptly, but intentionally. To see more clearly, recognize where we are needed, and to remember who we are. This year’s Big Ocean Women…

Uganda is a landlocked East African nation located on the equator and known for its immense biodiversity. It's also known by Big Ocean Women as the home of three active WAVEs and many women working…

I always learn and have my vision expanded when I attend a monthly virtual wave meeting (VWM) of Big Ocean Women. March was no exception, aside from the fact that it was so exceptional. We began by…

Over the past ten years, I have attended the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the United Nations (UN) in New York City five times. Big Ocean Women has sent delegations over the years, but…

CSW was a transformational experience. Not just because my eyes were opened to problems on a much grander scale but that a critical lesson finally sunk in for me. Ever since I was little I have been…

When I was young my mother pulled me aside. “Austin” she said, “in Matthew 5:9 Christ says ‘blessed are the peacemakers.’ Our family could use some peacemakers. Could you be a peacemaker here?” My…

This week spring arrived. I knew it was spring from the soft caress of the grass under my bare feet when I went to take the dogs out in the middle of the night, an hour past midnight with a crescent…

Easy Alicha Dinich Wot Recipe Ingredients (serves 4): 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 2 carrots, sliced 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp…

Join the Live Zoom Presentation at 2:30 PM EST by Clicking Here About the Event: Across global regions, women and girls experience compounded injustice rooted in an intersectionality of issues. These…

One of the great sadnesses of my life is that my sister and I are not close. I have only one sister, and our life choices, our personalities, and our perspectives on life have never really led to…

Located near Buruburam, Ghana in Africa, the Big Ocean Women (BOW) Nkwantanan-Ghana WAVE claims the title, “Women of Abundance.” Led by WAVE president Jemima Dokua Gbadegesin, this group of women has…

March 8th marks International Women’s Day—a day to recognize the strength and influence of women worldwide. It honors progress, acknowledges struggle, and calls us to act together with purpose and…

In 2019, I packed up my life in Mexico City and moved to the U.S. I was excited, of course, but I would be lying if I said it was easy. Back home, I had this amazing, tight-knit group of friends who…

Oregon forests were the playground of my childhood, the place where I first remember walking from the safety of my front door down a wide and gravel-packed drive, past a handful of houses clustered…

“Six Degrees” is recognized as the world’s first social media platform. It is based on the popular “six degrees of separation” theory, which suggests that no human is more than six connections…

Personal Reflection on the February Tenet: "We Are Each Unique And Innately Worthy Of Respect" by Gloria Ezeonyeasi I was reflecting on the February tenet as I prayed the Holy Rosary and one of our…

Sharing a recipe is like sharing a part of your heart. As Shelli often reminds us, and as Norma and Emily have shared previously, there is just something about using a recipe shared by a friend or…

The UN Up Close: Families Understanding Agendas for Global Change After 10+ years of work as a UN-accredited NGO, we are ready to share what we have learned. Join us in this in-depth masterclass to…

Crumpled and tattered currency is just as valuable and useful as a freshly minted bill. A certain number of coins have the same value as a designated bill, and it doesn’t matter which year the coins…

From every human being who has ever lived—and every human being who ever will—there is only one you . No one else carries your exact story, your exact body, or your exact way of moving through the…

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson. As many women do, I often feel the pressures of looking or acting…

My dryer is getting older, and it has broken a few times in the past year or so. During that time I have replaced most of the parts to keep it going. One of the parts I needed, though, was not sold…

Lead photo credit: Jacob Lund via Canva In a world overflowing with trends, filters, and expectations, it’s easy to feel like we’re supposed to fit into a single mold. Everywhere we turn, someone is…

Lead photo credit: Sina Rezakhani via Unsplash I've been thinking a lot lately about David in the Old Testament stories. He was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, and he was often sent to tend…

Lead photo credit: Dinh Pham via Unsplash “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time,…

We Believe in God and Are Women of Faith About 10 years ago, I met a lovely woman named Aduke. Aduke had moved from her home country of Nigeria and was living in Houston, where my husband and I…

There is no doubt that Fatima and other Christians in Nigeria are facing tribulation as they are targeted and persecuted because of their faith. In a recent interview, Fatima shared an overview of…

Gloria Ezeonyeasi is a Regional WAVE Director for Big Ocean Women who lives in London. She has traveled to Nigeria to meet with women and teach about our tenets, train in the WAVE model to start a…

" God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. " -Spencer W. Kimball We are each a child of God. God knows and loves each of His…

In today’s world, faith can feel complex and even elusive. We live surrounded by constant noise, diverse beliefs, and the relentless pace of modern life. Yet, despite these challenges, faith remains…

“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” —Ursula Le Guin “Food is our common ground, our universal experience.” —James Beard It is…

An ancient story is told of a man named Helaman that led 2,000 young men into battle to help defend their nation. The story states that the young men had never fought, yet they did not fear death. As…

I recently listened to the audiobook version of The Sun Does Shine . This book was published in 2018, and was chosen as the Oprah book club pick in June 2018, but I don’t follow Oprah, and I had…

Deep inside the lush country of Guatemala and literally at the end of the road, Big Ocean Women has two WAVEs. Our members of the Siretquiche and Semarac WAVEs committed to giving their children the…

I want to share with you all an image that has stayed with me since returning home from Guatemala. We had such a beautiful experience there and my heart was touched by the mothers and their children.…

We are so excited to announce the following five WAVEs have graduated from the Big Ocean Women WAVE training and planned and carried out their first independent projects and are now officially…

“This is what you shall do: love the earth and the sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone who asks, devote your labor to others… go freely with powerful uneducated persons and…

Lead picture by: Getty Images (Canva) From the time we were little, many of us were taught that it is better to give than to receive. This may sound like a cliché, but science confirms its truth.…

A man at church this week commented that “King Solomon didn’t have a cell phone.” It was interesting to think that one of the richest kings in history did not have many of the things we have today.…

Lead picture generated by ChatGPT This Halloween, my family did our usual tradition of trick-or-treating together. After a good turn around the neighborhood, my kids started joyfully yelling, “We’re…

Lead image from Stockcake In recent years, I’ve read and heard much about perspectives of scarcity vs abundance. Cultivating an abundant mindset is something that challenges me. I blame it on the…

We often hear about bucket lists–tasks or experiences we create as goals, often with a deadline for completion. I’ve had a few of my own, such as a bucket list of chores that need to be done before…

Lead photo credit: Pelageia Zelenina One of the most common beliefs among moms is that everything we do must revolve around our children. Somewhere along the way, even our names fade into the…

When children endure abuse or neglect, the trauma ripples far beyond what the eye can see. These ripples often intersect with lack, shame, instability, and a sense of helplessness. The Rainbow Rooms…

Lead photo credit: Jakub Zerdzicki via Unsplash This weekend I made bagels. Homemade, sourdough bagels—some sesame seed, a handful of cheddar jalapeno, a few plain, and a couple everything bagels to…

I vividly remember a day when the 80 or so students in one of my college classes became extremely upset at our professor. The class itself was quite difficult, but we had just taken our first test,…

In an age where the loudest voices often shape public policy and social values, the quiet convictions of everyday people can easily be drowned out. But CitizenGO, a global community of engaged…

Last month, I had the privilege of attending a convention for The Magic Yarn Project . I was honored to meet and connect with others who have dedicated significant time toward providing whimsical…

A compass helps us find our way. Being aware and following our internal compass brings peace to our hearts and enables us to become peacemakers in our interactions at home, work, church, and online.…

For a number of months, my wife made the store manager at the grocery store by our house quite uncomfortable. The grocery store carried many magazines at the checkstand, and a number of the magazines…

Lead photo credit: Anne Nygard via Unsplash There is a stone on my kitchen windowsill—milky white and strangely light and run through with veins of red and rust and brown, a stone I plucked from the…

Lead photo credit: Brenna O'Donnell via Unsplash - "Building Bridges" by Lorenzo Quinn “If you agree with *fill in the blank*, go ahead and unfriend me.” Every time I see a post like this in my…