“But I want it!” My five-year-old and I were having a discussion about what toppings she wanted to put on top of her waffle for breakfast. We did not see eye to eye. She frowned, rejecting my suggestions of peanut butter and bananas or even butter and maple syrup. She had a definitive opinion about…
When “Ever After” is Missing the “Happily”
Both of my daughters love princesses. They can’t get enough of the story of a beautiful princess imprisoned by evil, yet not knowing how much of a prisoner she really is, full of longing, saved by the brave hero. They can’t get enough of the story where the rescued princess resumes her rightful, royal life,…
My Word for 2019
For the past few years, I have been asking God to give me a “Word for the Year” at the start of the year, a word to provide focus for what He wants to accomplish in me throughout the next 12 months. The process usually goes like this: Me: God, what should my word be…
Jesus’s Geneology
For the past several years, I have been captivated with genealogies. I want to know more about my ancestors and their stories. I want to know about the journey of life that led to today. So much life is often condensed between two dates – birth and death. And yet, those lives lived, the extraordinary…
What is Your Idol?
So, let me ask you…what is your idol? Or even who is your idol? Not in the sense of a celebrity crush or fandom scenario, but what is it that you chase after? Merriam Webster defines an idol as “an object of extreme devotion” and “a representation or symbol of an object of worship.” What…
When Jesus Shows Up
Do you ever doubt if God will show up for you when you need him most? Or do you wonder if he will be faithful for you in the same way you’ve seen him be faithful to others? If you do, you’re not alone. There is a part of me that has always had a…
Content with the Crumbs
I hate it when my children are sick. Hate it. I want so desperately to make them feel better, to take away their suffering. It is one of the most helpless feelings, that feeling a mother experiences is when her child is really ill. Moms, though, have the ability to turn those feelings of helplessness…
A Lucky Mom
We’ve all had those moments. Those moments, as moms, when our kids do something or behave in a way that shows you, even for a fleeting moment, that they have been listening to you. When someone leans over and says, “You’re a lucky mom!” To know your kids are on the right track…it feels like…
Hold My Hand
“Hold my hand.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said that as a parent. It’s usually in a situation where I need my kids close to me. I love them, and I need them to trust me with their safety. That’s a lot harder to do when their hands are full of things…
Significance of Your Everyday
“So, what do you do?” There was a period of time where I hated answering that question. Not that it was an intrusive or inappropriate question, but that I felt my answer was insignificant and inadequate. My answer was “I’m just a mom.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I love being a mom. And leaving…