It was a funny joke in the early days of motherhood: Is it time for wine yet? Haha. My girlfriends and I would have playdates on Fridays that always involved a glass or two of wine and not-so-healthy snacks. It was our source of relief from the stresses of new motherhood. None of us had…
Healthy Comfort for the Grieving
Editor’s Note: When someone is hurting, it’s hard to know what to say. How can we help? In times of hardship, loss, and pain, Scripture beckons us to look up and out. We pray you are blessed by this excerpt from The Book of Comforts. * Meaning to be friendly, I asked, “How was Christmas?” If…
Less Is More, Especially Through the Holidays
Have you ever wondered when life began to be different? When did we change from happy little girls to frenzied women? Is there a mark on our timelines when we changed from carefree little girls into frazzled grown-up girls? Somewhere along the way, we went from thriving to surviving, from being full of joy to…
Learning To Trust, All the Way Home
The trouble is that relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing has yet been done. ~ C. S. Lewis, Letters To Malcolm, Chiefly On Prayer She approached me after a speaking engagement, her face lit up with a big smile: “Oh, don’t you worry, honey,” she said,…
The Age Old Question: “Did God Really Say?”
One minute, I was on a high of living my best life now! I had it all — my good ol’ boy husband, Justin, who would take a bullet for me, healthy children, a dream home nestled in the heart of East Texas complete with white picket fence and a kitchen overflowing with friends on…
Fiction Friday: Time Honored Classics
“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.” – Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights Do you remember where you were when you found out…
Don’t Get Lost in the Middle of Ingratitude
One weekend my whole family traveled with me on a speaking trip to a homeschool conference. John drove and helped at the book table. I spoke. The kids attended workshops for their age groups, covered every inch of the exhibit hall, and made new friends. After packing up all our things, we arrived back at…
Vulnerability: Do a Cannonball with Your Life. It’s Okay to Get a Little Wet.
When [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” — Luke 5:4 When we play Monopoly at my house, everyone races to land on Boardwalk first. If you’ve played the game, you know Boardwalk is the most valuable property on the board.…
Only Love Today: Acceptance
Love is a good place to start a new beginning. BUILDING ON LOVE I wear a worn wristband that bears the words Only Love Today Recently, someone asked me what that phrase meant. Although it began as a mantra to silence to my inner bully, it has become so much more. Only Love Today means……
What If I Don’t Feel Very Thankful?
Friends, you may have heard the news about our next Online Bible Study, One Thousand Gifts with Ann Voskamp, and feel yourself holding back, maybe hesitating a little, because to be honest… you don’t feel very thankful. I get it… This may be a scraping season for you. It is for me, too. I’ve experienced…