This is what I wrote in my journal last Monday: "It's an amazing thing to have nothing (absolutely necessary) to do right now. While the girls have swim team practice for an hour each day, other than that we can pretty much go at the...
When I was in my late elementary years, our family went to Six Flags for a day. At one point, my dad and brother went on a ride that was supposed to take them up really high in the air so that they were able...
We just did something pretty ambitious - we took our four kids ages 10, 8, 6, and 3 on a European tour of four countries in about 12 days. It was a whirlwind adventure across the ocean for one main purpose: We long for our...
The forms of these flowers are the intentional designs of a Creator who has not abandoned his broken and rebellious creation, but has instead wholly given himself to the work of redeeming it. He has scattered the evidences of creation’s former glories across the entire scape of heaven and earth and these...
My house was totally clean and stayed that way for two weeks once. It was unbelievable, really, and my husband and I stood in awe of the order and quiet in our home while our three girls were in Chicago staying with their grandparents after...
We all know what it is like to open up a social media app and see some event like a birthday party or fun night out that it seems like everyone knew about but you. Or worse, seeing pictures of friends having fun and pushing...
Alarm bells started dinging in my head as I listened to the conversation across the table unfold. The decades old narrative kicked into gear as I sat with a polite smile pasted on my face, “Oh, you did that thing I love to do but...
One of my favorite books for kids is You are Special, by Max Lucado. In the book, a little wooden boy named Punchinello lives with other little wooden people who spend all day long scurrying around sticking either black dots or gold stars to each...
I’ve long been a champion for the value, the necessity of community. It’s been a literal lifeline throughout the birth of children (two in a place we didn’t really know anyone yet), postpartum anxiety, multiple Military moves, and the utterly terrible dog days of deployment. I’ve...
I spent most of my twenties wallowing in discontentment. I longed to be rid of each difficulty du jour so that I could move on and be happy. Recalling all the breath I wasted complaining about hard seasons (perceived or real) makes me cringe. If...