In our house, death doesn’t stay in the taboo talk topics. Especially since my dad went Home to Jesus five years ago, the kids and I frequently discuss Heaven. Some people may assess our obsession as slightly morbid or imbalanced, but I think the opposite holds true. Losing sight of where we are going and […]
Inspiring Moments
This moment from the past may have occurred decades ago, but it still carries the power to inspire us today. No matter what, God can use you. You are wonderfully made. You can live with joy and gratitude and purpose. Failure might just be a stepping stone to greatest: […]
For Women: No, Really, It Is
At some point in the last decade, I woke up to a world gone mad. Dismissing the Creator years ago, moral standards progressed down the hill and all the way off the cliff. We’ve committed the ultimate hubris by rewriting marriage (from a God-designed covenant between a man and a woman to what it is […]
Powerful Women Are God’s Plan Too
If you are a mild-mannered woman who delights in sewing baby clothes and reading to your children, rarely disagrees with her husband or others, and doesn’t carry ambitious goals, this post may not connect with you, but if you find your drive competing with your passions, regularly speak out against injustice and sin, and people […]
Balancing Encouragement with Critiques
The other night, I vented to my husband about some doubts and frustrations I was wrestling through regarding one of our children and his learning style. “I don’t want to dumb down the work because he’s having meltdowns, catering to his emotions and laziness, because I know he can do it…he just doesn’t want to. […]
Avoiding a Cholecystectomy
My whole life my mom taught me that God designed my body in complex and amazing ways. Whether we fully understand how it all works–we won’t–or not, we can trust that each part serves a function and is not a spare. For years, people assumed that the tonsils, appendix, and gallbladder served little purpose and […]
We Want to be Loved, but We Also Want This
This summer, two friends and I traveled to Springfield to see my favorite women’s speaker (no, it’s not Beth Moore). In addition to Lisa Harper’s seminary background, vast understanding of Scripture, and deep faith and humility, she captivates her audience with her vivid storytelling ability. However long she spoke that night was not long enough. […]
Fiction and Nonfiction Reads for You
About twice a year I try to give a book review(s) of current or recent-past reads. Obviously, your taste may not be my own, but many are just looking for a good recommendation. I read across several genres and receive incredulous looks over the craziness of reading several books at once. Yes, I’m one of […]
If You Put Your Mind to It…
“Left to my own direction, my heart is a compass that guides me toward passions and pleasures. But God is the true compass, guiding me along His ultimate path for me, changing my heart and renewing my mind in the process. My heart is a broken instrument, so how can I possibly trust its direction? […]
Watch out for the Snakes!
This last week Mother Nature decided to move her radius and we are no longer within the bulls-eye of heat. I can actually go outside in the morning (past 8:00 even) and enjoy a walk. The kids and I try to get at least one mile in every morning and Saturday morning was no […]