five beautiful children

Parenting cuts deep to the core. It lays open our needs before God, and we can either resent it or embrace the powerful cleansing that comes from God's purifying fire Yesterday was messy. It felt like we were trudging through sludge all day long just to get the bare essentials done...

Why do we limit our lives to the mundane of only what we can see? Why, oh why, do we cling to safety over being truly alive? Why are we so terrified of coming to the end of ourselves when that's the place when God rushes in? Why are we so scared of throwing a leg over the side of the...

Buried deep in the earth of our hearts, God has buried dreams and hopes. While they lie under the surface, they ARE there. Don't chafe when you are caught in the in-between. Every time I come west, something deep inside me wakes up. My arms stretch wide, and my lungs fill deep and happy...

We were not created for war, fighting, and death. No wonder our souls gasp for justice and a peaceful community. I've been thinking a lot about peace... As the garden weeds grow and as the tomatoes hang heavy on the branches. As my children and I bury our fingers in the clay soil and pull...

Children, chores, and never-ending responsibilities bring opportunities to turn our selfish hearts back to God. I hit snooze three times — not because I wanted to sleep in, but because I had set multiple alarms. My night was spotty at best, with a chunk of four hours in the dead of...

It's good to embrace seasons of quiet. The land slipped away behind us, and the lake lay still as glass. A lone bird called out across the water and the only answer was the gentle slosh of our oars cutting into the water. The silence warmed our skin, and even the children paused...

It was in the middle of one of these nitty-gritty down-to-earth conversations between Jesus and His disciples that He fleshed out the secret. I've often wished to be able to be with Jesus in person. To share a meal, a cup of steaming coffee, to ask Him specifics. What wealth it would be to...

In a world swirling with heavy clouds and looming headlines, we mothers hold a massive opportunity! In a world swirling with heavy clouds and looming headlines, we mothers hold a massive opportunity! Like never before, we are connected with people across the globe. Instead of seeing just...

Hope is the life in our veins, the breath in our lungs and the courage for tomorrow. Our hope is not in our circumstances. Our hope is not in what we see or even feel. Our hope is in Jesus, who is doing a deep eternal work in us. Far beyond what eyes can grasp, deep underground roots are...

We AREN'T enough, but He is. It is the goodness of the Lord that brings us nose-to-nose with our desperate need for Him. Did you know it's okay to start over? To realize that we've missed the boat, you don't need to keep trying to correct a wobbly course, but you can go alllllll the way...

Instead of a well-manicured life, and perfectly organized and aesthetic home, my heart is yearning for more connection with love... His love... and, to be part of His loving presence. I tucked my sleepy toddler in bed and pushed aside his treasures — a stick and a "Biscuit" book. Boys...

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). We hold our breath. We close our eyes and listen. Our hearts strain and lean in. We taste it, salty between our teeth. We feel the shadows deepen all around us. The...

What is more powerful in shaping the heart and faith of a child than a mother who prays for her children? Lord, We pray for them late at night and early in the morning; when we stand face-to-face with our own failings as mothers. We ask that You fill them with the knowledge of Your will...

God brings me to my knees, both in honesty and in choosing joy, as I pick up a careless mess made by the precious, but oblivious little stampede that lives within my walls. This morning I found myself on my knees, picking up a spray of scattered and freshly peeled crayons. I knew...

Perhaps the biggest gift of I suppose it's safe to say we all have "Jonah Days," as Anne of Green Gables called them. Hard days. Crashing off a wonderful weekend to nitty-gritty Mondays that stretch into Tuesdays. Days when the AC breaks, the refrigerator sits in the middle of the kitchen...

All too often we cringe at the role we find ourselves filling, and filling beautifully, when in fact this is the role God made us to fill! What if our biggest ministry and calling in life is to whisper encouragement to someone in their moment of self-doubt? What if God custom created us to...

The more I discover, the vast possibilities ahead yawn even wider before me. Mid-process. Lessons still muddy and sweaty. This is where we are. Turns out adults don't know everything. In fact, I'm learning how much I don't know. The more I discover, the vast possibilities...

I knew the picture looked different zoomed out. "But she BROKE it!!!" A crime had been committed and, clearly, justice must be served. Yesterday, and even an hour ago, I might have dived right into the altercation — after all, it was my necklace that was now in several pieces. But...

What would you take if our house were burning down, and, if everyone were already out of the house? He paused with his hands hovering above the dishwater, water dripping from his almost man hands. "What would you take if our house were burning down, and," he added quickly, "if everyone...

Don't focus on the building waves or let the pitching boat convince you otherwise. Peace. In the face of uncertain odds. Our world is broken. We see it. We taste it. We stand and watch as it implodes, crumbling to dry powder at our feet. This is not the safe, trustworthy...