Life’s journey has long been represented by seasons of mountains high and valleys low. Commonly, mountain tops represent the peaks of enjoyment, satisfaction, and fulfillment, while valleys the deeper, darker, and difficult seasons. My age and experience attest to quite the opposite. So, I want to extend the invitation to you. Read why.
Read MoreSurely our family is not the only one to experience an unexpected sickness, a discouraging diagnosis, or a disappointing change of plans during summer. Right? As much as we love summertime for making memories, finding rest, and seeking adventure, we equally feel the sting of disappointment when things don't go as planned.
So, I recorded my own thoughts to share with you in hopes that they bring you joy amidst your own disappointments this summer and always.
Read MoreSummer is here, so what now?
Grab these ten simple strategies to make the most of your summertime, and not let it slip away.
Read MoreWe recently celebrated my daughter turning 11 with a mother-daughter pottery lesson. Remarkably, I couldn’t ignore the spiritual significance of each step and their profound implications on my life.
If you are feeling like the pressures of life are causing you to spin out of control, read the latest post and be encouraged.
Read MoreOne thing that causes the greatest anxiety in me is my to do list. During this week that falls immediately after Easter, I’m viewing my own needs through a resurrected lens and asking:
If Christ’s sacrifice on the cross satisfied my deepest need, then what do I really need to do today?
Read MoreThe time for spring cleaning is near, but have you ever thought of tidying up your time?
I know what you are thinking:
How can I tidy my time?
How can I continue to make progress if I allow rest to hold prominence?
How can I remain faithful to the goals I set at the beginning of the year?
How can I know what areas of my life need to be addressed this season?
I’m glad you asked. Read here and find out.
Read More“What do you need to surrender?” Her question echoed through the microphone and searched my heart.
I sat while my mind invited the Spirit to search my heart. Before getting on a plane and entering back into real life, what was God asking me to surrender to increase my agility and joy along this faithful race?
While several areas came to mind, one clearly stood out.
Read MoreWhat is it in us that is so desperate for something new? Don’t get me wrong. I love a clean slate, a blank canvas, and wide open spaces. But if we are honest, the changing of the calendar doesn’t actually bring anything new with it except the hope of better. So, how can we experience newness in the middle of our story? Read and be encouraged.
Read MoreThere is no better time to begin shaping your child’s heart for generosity than now. The holiday season ushers us into the spirit of giving like none other, yet it’s threatened by our desires to get. We all feel the tension.
So, as parents, how can we model generosity as a family at this time of year and beyond? Here are three helpful ways I’ve found to do just that, along with some resources to get you started.
Read MoreIn my prayers, I began presenting God my platters of good deeds, sacrifices, and accomplishments, and expected Him to return my offering with earthly blessing, favor, and gain. As time passed, life grew arduous. Soon I discovered the only variable increasing in my life was bitterness.
Did God even see all that I was doing? Did He even care?
Read MoreMy eyelids open. The sky is dark. My mind is awake.
Sometimes I pull out my phone and write down spiraling thoughts, pressing to-do’s and creative ideas. Most of the time I eventually feel the tension release, but for the times it continues to clasp tightly I use these prayers to return me to rest.
Read MoreAfter a recent loss, there were no spiritual platitudes or verses that could immediately numb the mind-blowing pain of a life taken too early, but I knew that I needed to be reminded of a God whose ways are different than mine. So, where do you turn in those moments when you feel lost, alone, and desperate for direction?
Join me as I process through three critical questions. Perhaps in my processing you, too, can find healing for a way forward through your own grief or disappointment.
Read MoreThis sweet conversation between my husband and seven year old gifted clarity for me this week, and reminded me that where I place my greatest affections in this life will not only determine the path I follow, but determine the size of my God.
Are you feeling weary at the start of another month, a new season, or another day? Read this, remember who your God is, and find strength and joy again for your next step.
Read MoreI am confident we are all in desperate need for a summer sabbath, so I’m reflecting on these questions today:
How can I finish the school year strong?
How can I enter into a restful summer that allows for an exhale of restoration and adventure?
How can I better prepare for the fall without wanting to give up right now?
This week, as we journey toward remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus, I’m mindful of who is at the center of my worship. I’m reminded that worship is costly. I’m reminded that we are constantly given the option of who to place at the center of our heart’s deepest affections.
Read MoreIf you are like me, we have entered the mad dash to the finish line of the school year. Spring activities are in full swing and the calendar is stacked. The new post this week is reminding us all the secret to persevering through this journey of parenting.
Read MoreThe Lord builds. He gathers. He heals. He binds.
I whisper in exhale, “Thank you, Jesus.” This is what my heart needs.
The beat in my chest rests, and I continue navigating the next seventeen verses of Psalm 147. Along the way, I discover five P’s of God that create a healing balm for areas that feel most broken in my life and in the world.
As if a healing balm, these attributes of God cover and calm.
Read MoreEvery day is a battle. Our hearts wage war to find joy. Our minds fight to discern truth. Our hands wrestle to value work.
Do you feel it too?
Here I’m sharing three questions to ask as we prepare our hearts, minds, and hands for battle. The weapons might be different than you think.
Read MoreI’m not a huge fan of resolutions. To me it feels like they are made to be broken, but I do love reflection questions and growth goals to work towards each year. So, this year, I’m evaluating my appetite:
How can I acquire an appetite for the new?
How can I enhance my appetite for that which is truly valuable?
How can I regulate my appetite so that it is sustainable?
“I have always wondered if I could put up a tree, and just use blue and silver decorations instead,” she explained, wanting to honor both her Jewish heritage and her husband’s Catholic background.
“Of course!” I exclaimed. “The tree has little to do with Jesus,” I told her confidently at the time. “It’s just a secular expression of the season.”
But, what I didn’t understand until the last few years is just how much our trees actually do set the stage for the redemptive story of Christ and put in perspective our greatest longings. Allow me to share more.
Over the years, however, I’ve been reminded how little I understood the tree those fifteen years ago.
Read More
