When my first child was born, I was consumed by the overwhelming feeling of desperation. The sleepless nights, the acid reflux, and the exhaustion all began to drain me day after day. All of the things that I didn’t know or expect as a new mom began to isolate and distance me from others. I believed the lie that I… Read more
Have you ever had someone you know unexpectedly knock on your door? I’ve always struggled with whether to invite them in or just see if they quickly need something. I want to be hospitable, but sometimes their visit catches me off guard. This usually looks like me trying to hide the leftover breakfast crumbs on the table and the blocks… Read more
“What is the best trip you’ve ever been on?” That is the question that was recently posed to my children and a group of their peers at a church activity. Some said vacations to the ocean, others mentioned trips out of town to visit family, but as eyes turned on my four-year-old son, he was more than ready to… Read more
Are you a complainer? Don’t answer that yet. Sometimes, this is more subtle that we realize. A friend asks us how we’re doing, really. We don’t want to be “fake,” so we unload on her everything in our lives that’s not up to standard, and how put-out we feel by life’s injustices. We offer multiple examples and elaborations to ensure the picture… Read more
A godly friend is a blessing from the Lord. This is someone who speaks truth into our life, helps us when we fall, encourages us to stay the course, fixing our eyes on Jesus, and spurs us on towards love and good deeds. But sometimes, though we long for a friend, we aren’t sure how to make one. I’ve been… Read more
A weekly family night will help you strengthen your family relationships. These family night ideas are simple yet effective at doing just that! We recently launched an official family night around our house. It’s on our shared iCloud Calendar, currently set to repeat every Wednesday night into eternity. I want to share a little bit about what we’re doing as we figure this… Read more
There’s a difference between being present physically and being present relationally and emotionally in your home. While both are important, it’s the latter that truly meets needs. Not the present-but-cranky, distant or distracted parent and wife I have often been, but the one that engages, sees, and builds up those in her home. Through intentionally choosing to be fully present, we are… Read more
Your expectations powerfully define your experience in this life. As one of my favorite authors Anne Ortlund says, “Life is determined by what happens between your ears.” Or as my mother-in-law aptly puts it, “Life is all about expectations.” Yet so many of us muddle through life not knowing ourselves, not understanding that we hold expectations of those around us, which… Read more
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