I bend and sort the clothes, turn socks and flip shirts inside out, one piece at a time. And I’m always amazed how much laundry we have each week. Laundry stained with spills, smeared with soil, and marked with the activity of long days. Stains from running and jumping and playing. From kneeling in the […]
When You Wonder if There is Purpose in Pain
She loses her job this week and walks away with one less key on her ring and a feeling of loss in her heart. It happens so fast. Abrupt, sudden, and unexpected. Everything becomes ordinary all at once, and none of it is easy at all. After years of giving with grace and mentoring with […]
How to Give Grace With Your Words
I walk in the room and I immediately react. I hear his tone the wrong way, assume a meaning he never intended, and respond with words I eventually regret. This is the mistake I make countless times… Failing to use my words for good, Missing the opportunity to give grace to the one who’s listening, […]
When Compassion and Letters Change the World
It was supposed to be just a simple concert at Christmas time, with familiar friends and nostalgic songs–songs of the season but also songs from the past. But sometimes God has a different plan in mind. One we don’t see until we’re already there. And this Michael W. Smith concert did not disappoint. He sat […]
When You Want to Run Away {Hope for the Weary Mom}
Dear Weary Mom, I see how you are dragging through your day, worried about tomorrow, and regretful of yesterday. How there’s an endless to-do list always waiting, one child complaining and another yelling. How shoes are strewn and puzzles mismatched all over the floor, with the fridge empty and tummies hungry, because there’s not been […]
What I Learned {September 2013}
At the end of every month, Emily Freeman shares what she’s learned, and she hosts a link-up on her blog where everyone can meet and share what they’ve learned too. And I’m joining her today! So here, in no particular order, are 10 things I learned in September… 1. God’s goodness and mercy hunts us down. As I […]
The Nostalgia of Home
I traveled home a few weekends ago for the first time in a long time. And it’s always good to come home. And for me, it really IS home. It’s the same dirt lane, with the same field across the way where I stood and pitched countless balls to my dad in the twilight of […]
For When You Need a Life of Peace {The Romans Project}
I memorize while I drive, at red lights and stop signs, these words of Paul which are soaking into my dry soul and reviving me each time I remember them. As we drive, the kids test me, stopping me if I make a mistake. And every Friday I record my voice reciting my learned verses, […]
What I Learned {August 2013}
At the end of every month, Emily Freeman writes a post sharing what she’s learned. Some are small things, some are big. Some serious and some light-hearted. But it’s always fun to read what she’s discovering. And she’s hosting a link-up on her blog, where everyone can meet and share what they’ve learned too. So come on […]
For When You Struggle with Comparison {Allume}
Comparison is a universal struggle it seems. And in my own life, I must admit, when I compare myself to others, it steals my joy and kills my hope… Of who I want to be. Of what I long to do. Of where I want to go. And how I will ever possibly get there. […]
