I have this way of wasting seasons. I look so longingly to what is around the corner that I don’t appreciate what’s staring me in the face. It’s easy to be excited about what is to come when you’re focused on the tough and unpleasant parts of what’s currently in front of you. I do … Continue reading Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Waste This Hard Season
We celebrate every little thing in this family, and I absolutely love it. We find every reason to have celebrations in our family, complete with a favorite homemade meal and usually a family movie. It all started on May 4, 2020. We were a month and a half into the pandemic. School was only supposed … Continue reading The Beauty of Celebrating the Small Things
Have you ever felt the nudge to say something but you let fear keep your mouth shut? I have. My family has been in the “church-dating” process (as my husband calls it), trying to find a new place to land. We had been attending one church for a couple of months, but it was a … Continue reading Encouragement for New Moms: You’re Doing Better Than You Think
Sweet friend, You’ve found yourself in the middle of this spot that’s tricky to define. There seem to be more questions than answers, and it can be hard when you like to know what to expect. The control freak inside you wants to lead this in a certain direction, but you’re unable to because that’s … Continue reading Letting Go of Control: Learning to Follow God’s Lead
“Enjoy this while it lasts. It goes by in the blink of an eye.” “Oh, I miss when my kids were little. Enjoy it while you can.” You’ve heard well-meaning people say those things, haven’t you? Oh, I’ve heard it so many times. I wanted to take their advice, I desperately did, but it was … Continue reading Being Present in the Hard Seasons of Raising Kids
Sweet friend, I see something stirring inside of you. You can’t wait to try something new, but you’re scared to step out into the unknown. Right now doesn’t feel like the right time to take a risk and take a chance on this. Let me tell you, there’s never going to be a perfect time. … Continue reading To the Woman Who Wants to Try Something New
Sweet friend, When you’re sitting in that doctor’s office, waiting to find out what is wrong, I know you’re scared. I wish I could come and sit down beside you, hold your hand, and reassure you that it’s going to be okay. No matter what news she tells you, it’s going to be okay. Your … Continue reading Even if it Doesn’t Feel Like it, God is Holding You
Sweet friend, I see you doing the best you can to smile and act like everything is OK. You’re trying to hide the truth from everyone around you. You’re even trying to hide the truth from yourself. But it’s hard to continue through the motions. There is a heavy weight on your shoulders that can’t … Continue reading To the Mom Tired of Acting Like Everything is OK
“Mama, I wish I was in eighth grade,” my sweet first-grader said to me as she sat at the kitchen counter one day after school at the beginning of the year. “Why’s that?” “Because then I would almost be done with reading,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Mama, I don’t like reading. It’s so hard.” My mama’s … Continue reading Your Child Can Do Big Things Even if School is Tough
Sweet Mama, I know you’re discouraged and feeling defeated. You feel like you don’t measure up and that you never will. Time and time again, you feel like you screw up, and you wish you could just do something right. Doubt creeps into your mind, and your insecurities rise as you look around at everyone … Continue reading Mama, Your Presence Is Enough
Mama, Take the picture, no matter what’s in the background. I was searching through old photos on the computer to find one in particular (to no avail), but the longer I looked, the more my heart filled with joy as I saw smile after smile of my kids in their childhood messes. I went past … Continue reading Leave the Mess and Take the Picture
We sat in a circle at the end of Bible study, everyone taking a turn to pray for something that had been shared earlier. I could feel the panic rise within me. I wanted to get up and run away. Maybe I could escape to the bathroom, but that would be obvious, wouldn’t it? I … Continue reading Our Prayers Don’t Have to be Perfect
We’re in the middle of this beautiful time where the leaves are changing. The colors around us pop, and there’s beauty everywhere. But we wouldn’t have that beauty without change. I have been someone to shy away from change. I usually want things to stay the same. I want things to be constant and predictable. … Continue reading The Beauty of Change
Sweet friend, Slow down. I see you rushing around, trying to get everything done, but all it’s doing is causing you more stress and anxiety. I know you think that as you cross more off your list, you’ll feel better, but I see you adding even more to it. You constantly find another thing that … Continue reading Sweet Friend, Slow Down
Sweet friend, I don’t know what hard thing you’re facing right now, but I know something is staring you in the face, trying to get you to back down. It continually shows up, making you feel discouraged and defeated. Your eyes are heavy, and your feet are tired. The weight on your shoulders pulls you … Continue reading Our Hope and Refuge
Heart to Heart 