The Perfect Mother for Your Children
I remember the day my friend Crystal told me that God chose me to be the mother of my children, so therefore, I am the perfect mother for them. Knowing God chose me for this mothering task, and how He daily empowers me to be a mom, has strengthened my heart. And it means I […]
A Candle for Mother’s Day
I love candles, and so, as you can imagine, that’s what I always ask for on Mother’s Day. The family knows they cannot go wrong with a candle. I’m not even picky, although I do have a favorite candle and scent: the Yankee Candle Citrus and Sage. It’s a wonderful scent for a home. I […]
Consider the Violets
I love the day the purple violets spring up all over the forest behind my house or in the stretch of rocky grass beside my garage. I remember collecting bouquets of violets as a child. The sun set in the woods by the creek of my childhood, and violets covered the pathway alongside bright green […]
When Your Plans Depend Upon a Storm
Today I learn something so wonderful! We watch the robins building a nest outside the kitchen window as the sky darkens all around them. With thunder in the distance and big drops already falling, my daughter wonders why the robins build now, on this morning, in this storm. After all, we watched them sit so […]
Sometimes the Blooms Take a Decade
The silky dogwood sapling that Sarah brought home from school in 1st grade found a home in the back of the garden. It grew for a decade. This morning, my husband calls out from the kitchen that this dogwood tree has finally blossomed. Finally! What a lesson in waiting!
Notice Why
Normally, when things begin to go wrong, something prompts the off-course thinking or behavior. It’s often one tiny thing: a comment that hurt your feelings, a false belief you began to think, an image you saw that reminded you of something you wanted to forget, or simply a smell that sent you into the past. […]
Fog and Dew in the Backyard Berry Farm
Expecting Good Things
After all this time, I know to wake up and expect good things. It’s the most profound shift in mindset. I’m so thankful for daily blogging to train the mind to look for the wonderful thing, the joyful thing, and the meaningful thing every single day. Living with joyful expectancy changed me to the core. […]
Finding the Nests
In a week or so, I’ll find all the bird nests of spring in my neighborhood. I love observing the bright blue and speckled eggs and the growth of the chicks, but I also simply love watching the nest construction. The process fascinates me each new spring. When I find a new nest, I always […]
A Great Principle for Teens to Learn
Before Jesus began to transform my character, I was fickle and untrustworthy. I would make promises and then break them. I would commit to plans and then cancel. I lived an unpredictable, selfish, and indecisive life. As I began to read the Bible and consider the principles that would now shape daily living, I realized that […]