Dear Sarah (On Your Ninth Birthday),
When you were born two weeks early on that very cold, snowy afternoon nine years ago, I held you with the fierceness of a mama bear shielding her new cub from all the terrors of the world. Terrors I never knew existed until I held you in my arms. Weeks later, I...When Lowering Expectations is Just What You Need
Goodness, I have high expectations sometimes. As in, expectations that aren’t always based in reality. And the worst places these little demons raise their ugly heads? In my marriage and in this whole parenting thing. I’m guessing you aren’t a...When Our Boys Become Men
I remember when both of them were born. Soft coos. Gummy baby smiles. One of them could wail louder than any human I’ve ever heard – and he did so much that when news of his baby brother’s conception was discovered when he was a mere six months old, I sat...Yet Another Awkward Parenting Moment
There we stood, in front of the fancy juicer Husband had purchased not too long ago in an attempt to make us healthier. The spinach was waiting, along with the carrots and Granny Smith apples, to be pulverized into a green concoction of guaranteed energy. The youngest...When You Find Yourself Not Accepting the Gift
“Here, mama,” he said. “Leaves. And they’re red.” I thank him and he so carefully deposits the dry, crumbly foliage into my purse. Seconds later, he turns around and has two hands around a heaping mound of them, ready to add more to the...
Some of your favorite posts…
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When We Think It’s Impressive to Be Busy* Friends, I’m in Book Launch Land. I’m feverishly working to prepare for the release of Heart Sisters: Be the Friend You Want to Have. I’ll be re-posting some oldies (but hopefully you’ll think they’re goodies!) now and then so I can focus more on the upcoming release. Thanks for understanding . . . Oh – and I so appreciate you taking the time share on social media. This is the way of the writer these days and will help get the word out about Heart Sisters! A few years ago, I was talking to a woman who was in ..
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For When You Wash Your Phone in the Washing MachineLast week, I found myself with an unplanned hour and a house of beckoning chores demanding immediate attention. So like any woman with a house full o’ kids and a husband that works long hours, I thought I would just cram as much as I possibly could into those precious 60 minutes. I arrived home, put on my running shoes and started to RUN throughout the house, checking this and that off my list. A few minutes into my Wonder Woman mission, I grabbed a load of dirty towels and, clutching my phone in my right hand, loaded them in ..
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Five Ways To Raise An Anxious ChildI know, I know . . . Who wants to raise an anxious child? Who would ever read such a post? Of course, none of us intentionally tries to raise a child prone to anxiety and stress. But many of us are. Myself included. I’m not preaching to you from the pulpit – I’m talking to you as a friend sitting with you in the same boat. And at times it feels like we’re wearing life preservers and praying for rescue, doesn’t it? The more I think about this though, the more I realize that perhaps parenting is really not ..
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Church Shopping: On Finding a New ChurchIf you’ve been hurt by the church, then it’s likely the thought of ever going back to church again is right up there with oh, say getting your teeth pulled (sorry, Honey.) (My husband’s a dentist. I have to watch dental jokes and comparisons.). I need to confess I once felt the same. Honestly, when those wounds were still raw, the thought of ever stepping foot inside another church again was enough to make me physically ill. We (Jason and I) talked it over incessantly. “Maybe we could just follow Jesus and just not go to church?” we asked each ..
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Why Christians Don’t Always Have to AgreeWe sat contemplatively around the table, speaking softly about the struggles of marriage. I complimented her on her courage because for some reason, we feel shame when we admit our marriage is in trouble. I know because I’ve been there and felt it, too. I begin to share some of my own heart and experiences with my ten year old marriage, wisdom attained through the really hard places. Unfinished wisdom that still percolates and wisdom I know but don’t always allow my actions and choices to show it. I then share some heart changes I had to make in order ..
