There seems to be a consensus right now that everyone is busy (shocker!). School rehearsals and finals, winter break activities, never-ending sports, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, last minute errands...more Christmas shopping. Not to mention all of the Christmas traditions you want to enjoy with your family before the holiday season is actually over. It seems as though there is just not enough time to breathe the moments in, enjoy and treasure them...and instead we're all just skating ... continue reading...
How To Thrive When You’re in a Season of Waiting
I'm currently waiting for something. It impacts my everyday living and thinking. It's heavy. Painful, at times. The wait wants to steal my sleep and my attention.You, too? Well, this one's for you ...The Master of Time I developed an early habit of watching the clock. I didn't know then that it would detract from how I was designed to wait.Those were the days of biding time, watching the wall clock with an eye for when the class ended, when waiting wasn't associated with anything ... continue reading...
God’s Heart for Sick Women: Finding Peace in Chronic Illness
I’ve been bleeding for four months.Four months I’ve painstakingly tucked hygiene items in my purse and urgently sent my husband to the store. I've seen one practitioner after another and watched needles slide into my veins. I've given up caffeine, sugar, gluten, dairy and – it seems like – given up a part of my life.The bleeding triggers a painful autoimmune skin condition, so as I make sure my bathroom is stocked, I must also stock my shelves with special lotions, my fridge with special ... continue reading...
A Special Gift Guide to Bless All Your Friends And Family
For those of you who know me, you understand that gifts are something special to me.Not in the abundance of them and certainly not in the expense of them, but that I enjoy giving gifts that are lovely and meaningful. The kind of gift that the people I love will treasure long after the holidays are over. That kind of gift.So each year I share those ideas I've found to be especially wonderful---hopefully, something for nearly everyone on your list.Not only that but if you're like me ... continue reading...
Feminism, Happiness, And Picking Up After That Man
I was propped up in bed, reading my Bible and enjoying a hot cup of coffee. He walked around and kissed me goodbye, as he headed out to work.“Love you,” I said.“Love you,” he said.One minute later, the door opened and he came back in looking for something.“Whadja forget?” I asked.“Can’t find my shoes,” he said, as he bent over and searched the floor. “Oh, here they are –right under this pile of clothes I left on the floor.” His face showed he felt shame for not picking up ... continue reading...
How to Reset Your Attitude Before Your Husband Gets Home
I’m fairly confident I’m not alone in the 5 PM struggle: Making dinner, trying to help a toddler set the table (even though she’s technically helping YOU), while the teething baby sits on the floor in tears… at least, that’s my reality as soon as 5 PM rolls around.I don’t know why small children tend to melt down between 4:30-5:30 PM, and I don’t have a solution for that part of the problem. But I am learning that there is a way to circumvent my own emotions during this hectic time. Before I ... continue reading...
Aching for Quiet in a Loud World
I never wanted to be a monk, until I became a mother. Early on in motherhood, I figured out the secret magic of early mornings. Tip-toeing into a completely quiet living room I grab a blanket, my Bible and a cup of coffee that I actually get to drink while it's warm. It’s glorious. I read and I pray and I sit and I think while the world outside is still cold and shadowy. It’s one of my favorite habits. And a few short minutes later, the day hits me like a Mack truck. Just the Two of Us I ... continue reading...
How to Prepare Your Heart with Powerful Books for Advent
My first married December was rough. We had moved from Southern California to Northern Idaho a couple months earlier and I wasn't going to see my family on Christmas. I was grumpy most of the month, unable to appreciate new traditions and the Currier and Ives weather in our new state.Decorating the Christmas tree was a special event when I was growing up. My step-dad got it in the stand and as perpendicular as possible. My mom and brother did the lights -- always colored and the more the ... continue reading...
How a Professional Organizer Approaches the Holidays
How can the holidays be more enjoyable and less stressful?Simple.Intentional.Those are the two words I want to bring with me into the holidays this year.These words come to mind as I think of Jesus coming into this world.His birth was intentional. Planned before time began.His birth was simple. In a simple, little town. In a stable.As I think of and plan for the holidays, I want to intentionally choose things that simplify. Enjoying the people and events that surround ... continue reading...
7 Important Things I’ve Learned About Parenting Over 46 Years
Parenting well requires we take some intentional steps and see things from different perspectives.It doesn’t seem that long ago that chaos marked our house. We were blessed with 5 kids in 7 years. Three weeks before the last was born we found out there were two instead of one. Six weeks after the twins’ birth we moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia. My husband was in his first job as a senior pastor and he was gone a lot. I had no family nearby, no friends, no help and no sleep! Nursing ... continue reading...
25 Delightful Advent Books for Children
My husband is terrible at surprises. I can tell he has something up his sleeve from the little crinkles that form around his eyes when he’s talking about a date night he has planned or a present he wants to give. Without prodding, he will spill all the details.It’s a quality I’ve come to adore. For him, sharing the excitement of anticipation is better than pulling off a grand surprise. That’s how I feel about Advent. Celebrating on December 25th is wonderful, but the reveling in the ... continue reading...
The Greatest Gift to Encourage Your Child in a Faithful Life
More than anything, I want our children to walk faithfully. To live a life faithful to God.I'm not saying they need to be "perfect"---just that I deeply desire them to walk with God.And not only now while they're here under our roof, but when they leave our home too.It's what I prayed for our older children (4 who now live across the country) and what I continue to pray for the four younger ones still at home.So I believe in the power of prayer and try to be a good ... continue reading...
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