“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
There’s something about when your kiddos can load the dishwasher, mop the floor, and start a load of laundry. There’s something about when they can put their own clothes away and style their hair without any help. There's something about when they can put their own clothes away and style their hair without any help. … Continue reading There’s Beauty in Having Big Kids, Too
Holidays can be super stressful, can’t they? When do you get together with family? Do you alternate holidays with your side and your husband’s side? Do you try to cram both sides in the same day, the same weekend, the same week? It’s exhausting! A few years ago, my husband and I started our favorite … Continue reading Our Favorite Christmas Tradition
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
Dear Friend, I know you are ashamed of your past. You’re ashamed of the mistakes you’ve made. You’re ashamed of the struggles you’ve dealt with. You’re ashamed of what somebody did to you. You try to hide it from the rest of the world, hoping it will disappear into the shadows, but it keeps coming back … Continue reading You Don’t Need to Hide Your Past
To the mama trying to hold it all together, I see the smile you show the rest of the world. I see the way you do everything you can to make sure things run smoothly, but I also see the truth you’re hiding from others. Maybe you’re even trying to hide it from yourself. You're … Continue reading To the Mom Trying to Hold it Together
To the woman ready to give up on her marriage, I see the tears falling down your face, and I know they feel endless. This is not a situation you ever expected to face. It’s not what you anticipated when you stood before him and said, “I do.” You expected a lifetime filled with joy … Continue reading To the Woman Ready to Give Up on Her Marriage
To the mama struggling with postpartum depression, I know right now you’re surrounded by darkness, but it won’t always be this way. I know you feel like you can’t breathe, but it won’t always be this way. I know the tears fall freely, but it won’t always be this way. I know you feel broken … Continue reading It Won’t Always Be This Way
Sweet child, Don’t lose your spark, your wonder, your passion. The world will try to confine you and hold you back, but you were made to be free. You were made to inspire the hearts of others, just as you’ve inspired mine. You walk to the beat of your own drum, and I admire you for it. … Continue reading Dear Wild Child, the World Needs Your Fire
“I’m not a people person.” I’ve said that my entire life. I’m very much an introvert. I’m content with time alone, and that's what rejuvenates me. The thought of being with a lot of people at once is exhausting. But you know what? My husband made an astute observation recently that restructured my thinking on … Continue reading I’m an Introverted People Person
Heart to Heart 