Raising kids. Keeping House. Choosing joy, every day.
Thanksgiving planning is in full preparation. I’m looking forward to my kids coming home from college, decorating, baking, and the general loveliness of the season. Social media is in full fledged “thankful mode” with people recounting their “thousand ways” they are thankful. Psalm 100, the Pilgrim …
“There are three things about us that significantly shape the course of our lives: what we think, what we feel, and what we want. They way in which we handle our thoughts, our feelings, and our desires determines not only our path but whether the …
In 1875 Hannah Whitall Smith wrote her best selling book, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, a book that over-promised Christian experiences. It became wildly popular in the Christian community (despite it’s roots in mysticism, universalism, and her doubt of a literal hell), as it …
This week the Lord convicted me of my selfishness by using an iced coffee. The lady got it SO wrong, which is usually no big deal, but that day, it was like the worst thing ever. And I didn’t realize the “wrongness” of the situation …
Are you frustrated by the pursuit of holiness? Does it seem like an impossible task? You’re not alone. Pretend with me that you are seated in a church sanctuary. Now, look around the room at the people nearby. What kind of people do you see?* …
How are you supposed to be holy when you wake up grumpy? We know what holiness is not, and what it looks like, but how do we get there? If I had to describe myself when I wake up in the morning, holy is not …
I’m following the restoration of the beautiful Chataeu de Gudanes, a 94 room 1700’s chateau {read: mansion, hello!} in southern France that has seen better days. An Australian couple bought the place and are restoring it to its former glory. Not only are the pictures …
Reports estimate that that American women spend a staggering $426 billion a year on beauty products. We place a high value on beauty. We want beautiful homes, beautiful weddings, beautiful getaways to exotic places. Beauty is a good thing, in our eyes. But do we want …
What makes you tick? What motivates you? What “thing”, if you have it, puts you on cloud 9? What “moves” and motivates us is what drives and delights us. (And conversely, the thing that sends us into despair when we don’t have it, also shows …
Sometimes my role as a mom helps me understand God just a little bit more. As a mom, my kids are constantly on my mind. I think about what’s best for them, what’s hindering them, what’s hurting them. I’m protective of them and hurt when …