May It Carry a Blessing
My seminary professor once said, “Nothing mattered more to God’s people than securing His blessing. There was nothing more important. Everything was about being blessed by God.” Today I thought more carefully about what it means to have the blessing of God and why people would do anything to have that blessing. I ask my […]
Revise, Resubmit
This week, my literary agent decided to represent a novel I wrote six years ago after significant revisions. What exciting news! I’m learning this about the whole world of writing and publishing: You keep steady. You write. You do what you do. If something doesn’t hit the market in the right way, you consider revising […]
Once Again: After a Season of Loss and Heartache
I take my hurting neighbor to the compost pile and point to what became of the garbage of our lives. I talk about pain and loss and heartache and how Jesus always made something grow from it—some beautiful and unexpected thing that I neither controlled or helped along or even knew to want at all. […]
And I Walked, But Less
Today, my youngest begins 7th grade. So I walked her to school, but only part way. She met up with friends, and I scooted away. In this parenting journey, I note milestones when life changes. After walking children down that hill for a decade–yes, a decade!–I’m phasing out of this part of my life. I […]
Back to School: Weekly Menu, Lunch Box Ideas, and Snacks!
It all starts tomorrow! 7th and 10th grade! This means I enter a new season of lunchbox ideas, after school snacks, and easy family dinners. For the discouraged and tired among us, I thought about including some of our favorite and unusual dinners that don’t take long to make. This is our menu for the […]
Write for that One Reader
Last night at a speaking event, a woman came up to introduce herself. She wanted to share with me that my book Guarded by Christ helped her endure one of the most difficult years of her life. She talked about crying through sleepless nights and reading the book all through the night as her comfort and […]
Back to School Sparkle
I talk to my daughters about having sparkling eyes and a sparkling smile as they go back to school. It’s so simple! Smile, girls! Greet everyone you see with sparkling eyes and a sparkling smile! Smile.
A Compliment from a Stranger
In the thrift store today, a stranger tells me that she was listening to me talk to my daughters and that I was the most positive mom she had ever met. She said, “I hear so many terrible mothers who treat their children so badly.” Then, a young woman beside her told me she heard […]
What We Need
Truth: God knows what we need. We think we know what we need, but we often misunderstand what we truly need. So we can pray and ask God to provide what we need, not what we think we need.
Some Grow Fast; Others Grow Slowly
I love watching things grow. I love learning how plants grow best, under which conditions, and why. Our avocado seed has grown so slowly. You barely notice what’s happening. Meanwhile, in the pumpkin patch after just a few days, we see incredible growth. I remember that everything in the world keeps its own pace. Everything–and […]