Mountains of laundry. Piles of dust. Lumps of toys. Jumbles of books. No matter how you put it, my house is a mess. Going into the New Year I am tempted to make a New Year’s Resolution I can’t keep, like: Clean Up EVERY DAY. Or: Be Organized. Or: Follow a Strict Cleaning Schedule. But […]
Why I didn’t wait until Christmas for th
Candlelight flickers, twinkle lights shine, and the sliver of the moon suggests the sun it reflects. Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. We choose to recognize that Light wins in a world of darkness as we adorn our houses, trees, and streets with glimmers of joy. For in celebration […]
As a Christian Perfectionist, I feel lik...
A month ago I preached what has been called my “best sermon yet.” While it didn’t feel that awesome to me (I was tired and a bit uncertain) I do believe that God had something to say. Here is the introduction to the sermon. If you want to hear the whole thing, listen here or get it on […]
The One Thing I would say if I Could Spe...
Yesterday was my son’s 6th birthday and today this beautiful picture my sister made showed up in my Timehop feed: I look at my son, my face, the quote, and I feel a surge of emotions. I remember how shortly after this picture was taken I became overwhelmed by Jack’s inability to latch, I remained […]
When I Felt Like I Was Too Different
The Way of Gratitude: Day 7 (originally posted here) Looking back on this post, I can still feel my frustration My sense of uncertainty about who I am, what I do, how I do it… When I wrote months ago about being a Highly Sensitive Person, I may have mentioned how sometimes I feel very different […]
Why I’m Grateful I Screw Up
The Way of Gratitude: Day 6 (originally posted here) Reading this, I remember why I’m naming our dog Gracie. Grace is amazing. In the full sense of that word. Last night, I didn’t post about gratitude. I didn’t feel it. I was worn out from lots of housework, only to find that the hose from the […]
What Every Mama Wants to See
The Way of Gratitude: Day 5 (originally posted here) A note before this repost. Reading and watching this, I am filled with glee. While back then I was grateful for a milestone, today I am grateful for the relationship that has developed over the last 3 years between my boys. They may fight, but they are […]
Why I’m Grateful for My Smartphone – and
The Way of Gratitude: Day 4 (originally published here) note: when I wrote this, we had no internet at home and everything I did was on my smartphone. We live in the future, guys. Ok, this thing I’m grateful for? And decided I was going to write about last night? Technology? Well, that’s pretty ironic, because […]
What I Remember When I Feel I Don’t Have
The Way of Gratitude: Day 4 (originally posted here) This evening we went to Costco and stocked up. Apples, bread, pancake batter, mandarins oranges, pizza, sponges, toothbrushes… and on and on. So much so that I groaned a little as I paid for it all. I’m not sure how much we have left in our […]
When Life Feels Gray, Just Add Color
The Way of Gratitude: Day 2 (originally published here) Today started out quite plain. Get dressed, eat breakfast, kiss Tim goodbye… And then I pulled out Jack’s Make-A-Plate kit (a gift from Aunt Teri, thank you!). Caps came off markers, coloring books were used as templates and Jack drew a plate exactly as pictured on […]