I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. –Jeremiah 31:25 niv Ah, the freshness of dewy autumn, blowing away the stickiness of summer days. Pumpkin spice everywhere…and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. Mama, it’s time for your little ones to go back to school. It’s after a quick bittersweet kiss that you watch them set off to that yellow school bus. With their backpacks stuffed to the brim, you hope the banana you zippered into the top doesn’t get smashed into their new ... [keep reading]

I used to feel guilty about not doing my part in sharing God’s love with those around me. When my kids were babies, I felt as if all of my time was consumed with doing the laundry, changing dirty diapers, and keeping the house clean. If I didn’t even have time to take a shower, how was I going to have the time to share God’s love with those around me? I grew up in the church and was taught that reaching the unchurched was the number one thing we as Christians were supposed to do. As an ... [keep reading]

I am the mom of eight children. I am the grandmother of three grandchildren and the mother-in-law to two sons. I am a wife, a friend, an auntie. I’m not just surrounded by people either. We have sixteen chickens, two miniature horses, a donkey, three dogs, three cats, and a turtle. To tell the truth, I’m almost never truly alone. Even when I’m in the bathroom, someone is pressing their face to the crack in the door asking me for a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. My house has been bursting at ... [keep reading]

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him (Psalm 62:1). Summer vacation. The words conjure images of a loaded-down vehicle, perhaps pulling a trailer or items secured to the top with a multiplexity of bungee cords. And kids. Kids everywhere. Your kids, their friends, nieces and nephews. Sometimes you don’t even know where the kids came from…they’re just there. In your car. Summer vacations always involve some sort of travel. As a kid I remember vacation being synonymous ... [keep reading]

I’ve shared my experience with gardening here before and how I tremble at the thought of pruning my plants. To be honest with you, friends, I have gained confidence in adding new plants to the yard, but I still find myself hesitant and a little anxious to pick up the pruning shears and cut back the once beautiful summer blooms that grace the bushes around our yard. As a mom I want to give my kids the best—the best experiences, the best food, and the best home. I want to be the best mom I can ... [keep reading]

I put on a swimsuit today. No, not for me but for the sake of my kids. I should tell you first that I’ve never struggled with being overweight, but I’ve also never not struggled with my weight. In the fifth grade I became aware of how I looked in a swimsuit. Nobody said anything to me. I had simply and suddenly realized that I had a larger frame than most of the other girls my age. I have always had more of an athletic build, but by the time I made it to junior high, I had noticed that my ... [keep reading]