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...
Only a few days ago, my neighbor began to prepare the soil of his garden for spring. "Wow, is it time for that already?!" I thought, considering the snow that loomed on the horizon. And yet, before we know it, the first buds and blooms...
You know a book has made an impact on your child when they pick it up and throw it across the room! Never before has a book I have read to my children pulled out of them such feelings of anger, frustration, and justice as...
My oldest daughter is 11 now, halfway through the first year of middle school and sprouting her baby wings. If I’m being honest, it’s terrifying. I was meditating on that when I started a Bible study on Genesis (through my church). We discussed how Moses...
Rich, golden rays shone through the kitchen bay window, flooding the room with late afternoon light. I love the light right before the sun kisses the horizon and twilight falls. As I stopped to bask in the warm glow, my eye caught the thin layer...
I ran quickly through Six Flags Great America, chasing my ten year old daughter, Grace, and my sister in law Lisa, who both had caught the roller-coaster bug. It was only a few days after Christmas and happened to be a warm-ish day for Chicago,...
My youngest daughter ran down the stairs towards the advent tree hanging under our fireplace. She moved the little candy cane to December 20th with a little cheer, “Only five days til’ Christmas, Mama!” “I know, sweet girl. Can you believe it?!” For our family and...