Last November I shared that the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving has tended to be a pensive season for me. As the year begins to wind down, I like to sit with the memories and lessons of previous months before turning my focus to the coming year. While such examination can certainly be beneficial, these… Continue Reading
For the past several years I’ve participated in a weekly women’s Bible study through my church. The study has been such a blessing to me on multiple levels. I deeply value the opportunity for fellowship with women of various ages, backgrounds, and life stages, and I have reaped the benefits of the weekly worship and… Continue Reading
I’ve been experiencing a lot of anxiety and (non-situational) stress lately. And by lately, I mean for the last 30+ years. I’ve come to accept that this tendency towards stress is simply a part of my genetic makeup and that it will be an ongoing struggle for me. However, at times I get frustrated with… Continue Reading
Luke and I have been working together to decide on the verses we’re memorizing throughout the year. This month, when I asked Luke if he had any suggestions for our August verse, his response was, “Um. . . something about parenting?” This wasn’t the specific (or original) idea I’d been looking for, but it was… Continue Reading
I’ve slacked off a bit on my goals for the year (something I’ll share more on in the coming weeks), but one goal I’m happy to have stuck with is my commitment to memorizing a new verse each month. I recently read that your thoughts are the average of the five things you think about… Continue Reading
It is incredible how God uses Scripture to speak directly into our lives, in exactly the ways we need at just the right times. Despite having been written thousands of years ago, His Word is still alive and active, totally relevant for us today. So often, I come to the end of myself, not knowing… Continue Reading
At the start of the year, I proclaimed that the word “Open” would serve as my mantra for 2015. My hope was that this word would act as an overarching theme for my year, reminding me to stay flexible and receptive to whatever adventures lay in store for me as I crossed the threshold into… Continue Reading
I was having a hard time settling on a verse to memorize and meditate on this month. I decided to flip through Jesus Calling for some inspiration, and turned to the devotion for January 16 (Charlie’s birthday). As so often happens with this particular devotional, the message for that day was exactly what I would… Continue Reading
In choosing a passage of Scripture to memorize and meditate upon this month, I wanted a verse that would remind me of my Heavenly Father’s patience and graciousness toward me. I tend to be hard on myself, particularly now, as a mom who feels the need to “do it all” and do it perfectly. I… Continue Reading
Throughout 2015, Luke and I are selecting a monthly verse to memorize and meditate on. Last month’s verse proved to be an excellent “birth mantra” and was effective in helping me push through the toughest parts of my labor. This month, we selected a verse that we can speak as a blessing over our little… Continue Reading