The spirited redhead who is just as likely to break a slate over someone’s head as she is to be found in raptures about a plum tree-lined avenue has earned her place in the cannon of favorite literary heroines. It is, indeed, hard to resist Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne with an E. She is endearingly flawed, perfectly honest, and sees beauty in the world around her.Montgomery has kindly given us eight books devoted to Anne and her family, but it’s hard not to want more of the whimsy and heart ... continue reading...
Where Is Your Faith When You Find Yourself in the Deepest Valley?
Tragedy is something that happens to other people.Or so I always thought.I guess that’s why I wasn’t overly alarmed – even when that squirmy baby inside me stopped her wriggling and kicking. There had to be some logical explanation for the sudden change.I casually mentioned this marked “oddity” to the doctor at my next appointment, and she suggested I head over to the hospital to check it out…just to be sure.But one test lead to another, and my room was filling up with a large ... continue reading...
My Two Simple Secrets to Knowing God Deeply
When you don't feel close to God, how can you cultivate a deep, meaningful relationship that helps you know God deeply?He had me hold my nose before he plunged me into the frigid waters of the Popo Agie (pronounced “poposhia”) River in Lander, Wyoming –a memorable baptism that left me gasping in almost hypothermic shock when I resurfaced. Afterward, I felt only two things: shivers of cold and profound disappointment. At the age of eight, on my way back to the car to get warm, I began to ... continue reading...
How to Do Dating Better as a Christian
But I don’t want to date . . . I just want to get married.That’s what I told our family friend who was concerned that I wasn’t dating at the age of 26.Oh, not that I’d never dated. I'd actually dated a fair bit and found the whole dating scene rather depressing. Disappointing. Discouraging. You get the idea.My friend found my answer rather perplexing. "How can you get married . . . if you never date?"I don’t know, but I sure wished there was another way.As it turned out, a ... continue reading...
How God Designed Woman to be Life-Giving
Lately, I’ve been mulling over the question, “What does it look like to be a life-giving woman?”As I think about the meals my family needs for the day that I don’t feel like fixing, I ask myself the question. When I hear screams from a kid’s bedroom at 7 AM, I again ask myself, “In this moment, how can I give life?” The Holy Spirit nudges me with the question again as I get annoyed with my husband for leaving laundry in the bathroom.I believe that without intentionality on our part ... continue reading...
Every Child Will Treasure These Beloved Picture Books
Nurse Nancy had a special spot high on the bookshelf. And no matter how many times I heard the story, I never got enough of this book that was one of my mom’s prized possessions. Given to my mom by my grandma, who was a real live nurse, I’m sure that Nurse Nancy was part of my 5-year-old decision that I would grow up to be a nurse.Today I may not be a registered nurse working in a hospital, but I take care of my fair share of “owies” for my toddler. And my small daughter, who loves books ... continue reading...
How to Have the Kind of Marriage Your Kids Really Want You to Have
We may not realize it, but our children need us to have a strong marriage.You don't realize how much they're watching. Or at least not how closely they're watching.Because I thought I knew how much it meant to them. But it wasn't until this recent discussion that I found out just how much our kids take careful note of our marriage.Our daughter came home last week for a quick visit from her freshman year at college and started telling me about a conversation she'd had with one of ... continue reading...
4 Questions to Ask Yourself to Prune Away What Hinders Growth
I sat in bed for the two millionth, umpteenth gazillionth time, wondering how on earth I felt like I wasted another day of life doing nothing important or growth-producing.You know… that stagnant feeling washing over you like a tidal wave of failure. The same tsunami of water that you can perhaps relate to when you’ve made a goal and fall out of it a day in a half later. Or, you determine to not eat that cookie, and yet in a shocking turn of events, 5 of them are missing, and you look around ... continue reading...
5 Helpful Things I Love to Have in My Kitchen
So what does a mother of 8 cook in her kitchen?I get asked this question more than you might think.And my basic answer? "A LOT of food."But our family isn't only looking for quantity when it comes to cooking; they're rather into quality as well. They enjoy homemade meals and even pay attention to how they're presented!Maybe it's because my husband and I are both amateur "foodies" and love creating interesting dishes in the kitchen. Not to say that we don't occasionally order ... continue reading...
Encouragement For The Weary
Sometimes when life feels like it doesn't want to let up and we become weary, we just need a little encouragement to remember who fights our battles.I can’t remember a time when I did not believe. I grew up in the church and on the mission field. I had been gifted with all the Christian initials. I was an MK, PK, and TCK (missionary kid, pastor’s kid, and third culture kid). I only attended Christian schools, for college I went to Moody Bible Institute, and eventually married a pastor. So I ... continue reading...
5 Ways to Be Supportive of a Spouse Who Travels for Work
My husband and I, at the risk of sounding cliché, are better together. We’re two peas in a pod, we go together like peanut butter and jelly, bread and butter, coffee and tea (is that a thing?). Our favorite thing to be is together…and our least favorite thing is to be apart. Last year, my husband took on a new role at his company. While it was a step up, it did involve a few changes, more responsibility, and more travel. As the new job has ramped up, so has the travel.While neither of us ... continue reading...
How to Have a Good Fight in a Loving Marriage
I can vividly remember our first fight.Not because it was so incredibly ugly or intense, but because it was so unlike any other fight I'd ever seen.It started out how many other arguments can begin. I came home to our small apartment only to find the Yellow Pages open (think "Google on paper") and could see that Matt was booking an airline ticket."Um, do you want to tell me where you're going?" I'd asked him."I'm heading to California for my friend's graduation," he informed ... continue reading...
