I will savor these moments when she wants to be right next to me. I will hold her hand a little tighter and a little bit more lovingly. I will pull her close and tell her how much she means to me. I will make sure she knows I’m proud of the wonderful young lady … Continue reading Our Holding Hands Days Are Slipping through My Fingers
Sweet child, I know you want to grow up. You want to get older and do more and more. I see you changing day after day. You are no longer a little girl, but you’re turning into a young lady. You’re becoming this wonderful person who leads and cares for others. It’s a beautiful thing to … Continue reading Childhood Is Not a Race
God has you here for a reason. He has placed you exactly where He wants you to be, and you have an opportunity to minister to someone along your path who needs exactly what you have to give. I know you might not feel qualified for the task before you, and that’s okay. He will … Continue reading Stop Chasing What’s Next and Give God Your Now
Sweet friend, I know your heart aches. Your child comes home from school frustrated day after day, informing you that the kids in her class are mean, that she doesn’t have any friends. I know it breaks your heart and you wish kids could see how amazing your child is. She might not fit in right now, … Continue reading Dear Child, One Day You Will Find Your People
Mama friend, I know you’re exhausted. It feels like you have nothing left to give. You know you need to take a moment for yourself, but you don’t know how. I know it all feels endless—like it will never be any different. I know you long for a week, a day, or an hour to … Continue reading Overwhelmed Mama, Take a Moment to Sit at the Feet of Jesus
Sweet friend, I know you feel like your world has exploded into chaos. Two under the age of two feels overwhelming. It’s like raising two babies, but one child gets into one thing after another. It feels endless. The diapers, the crying, the messes. But sweet mama, it gets better . . . so much … Continue reading To the Mom of Two Under Two: You’ll Make It
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
“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
At six years old, my daughter informed us she wants to be a soldier.When we heard from the ultrasound tech that we were having another girl, that was not exactly the career path that popped into our heads. There’s something absolutely terrifying knowing your child wants to do something big like this. I’m sure I’d … Continue reading My Little Girl Has Big, Brave Dreams
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
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
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
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
Heart to Heart 