I’m usually an optimist and love to find something to laugh at in everything . . . but to be honest, this is a challenge. When the aches and pains begin and the waves increase it’s hard to stay positive because you don’t know how long this round will last, or how much more painful it will get. That speaks to so many trials in life, doesn’t it? But the Lord is always gracious and where lies whisper, His truth can and does abound.

I live between two conflicted traits: on one side I’m too likely to trust and on the other side I don’t trust at all. The result is often that I’m wary of trusting those I love the most–just in case. In my walk with Christ, this causes the most tension because on one side I trust . . . but on the other I’m wary and I like to keep my just-in-case options open. Can you identify?

Moments. Life is made up of them. Some we tuck away in our hearts for safe keeping. Some we forget in the recesses of day-in, day-out. Sometimes, it’s the little things that bring them all flooding back. I sat tired, in an empty room within an empty house. Our belongings piled high in the moving truck, the air heavy with expectation, excitement, grief, and lots and lots of humidity. The voices below echoed through the empty walls as I sat washing footprints off grey walls. The memories flooded back and warmed my heart . . .

Unexpected. That sums up so much of life, doesn’t it? It seems we are always doing and planning, and then life shifts and we find ourselves unexpectedly changing course. Sometimes these changes in course are the very things we’ve always wanted. Other times, these course changes hand you the blank pages to a story you didn’t want to write. How do we find hope in those cases?

Have you ever hit one of those moments in life where you begin to wonder what on earth is going on? You feel like things are spinning out of control and life is moving much faster than you’d like. Maybe you aren’t really sure what direction you’re heading, but you’re being carried along in it anyway. Sometimes we just have to wonder what on earth God thinks He is doing, you know?

Sometimes, I wonder what God is doing. Like, honestly, does this really have to be the plan? I’m certain if He’d just ask me I’d have a better plan . . . but He hasn’t asked me yet. You know, it’s easier to follow His plans when it’s just me involved. But when you throw […]

My heart is reflective tonight and I want to share with you. I haven’t blogged much this month because life is currently full of transitions. Full of goodbyes and hellos, full of laughter and tears, and full of anticipation for a new season. And in the midst of this happy and sad chaos, I got thrown a curve ball. The type that tries to distract and fill your heart with fear.

Fear runs through my family line you see, and I’ve made alliances with fear many times. Fear often promises comfort, protection, and control, but it is always a sham. It never delivers. And I’ve found the fears that motherhood brings with it are a whole new ballgame. Fears for myself are one thing . . . but my fears for my children are often stronger. Can you relate?

Have you ever looked up one day and realized your entire life revolves around your kids? In a fog of sleeplessness you realize you’re spending all day wiping something or someone . . . and you’ve forgotten even what you used to dream about. You realize you don’t even know what makes you feel alive anymore. And that can be more than a little depressing. When our children are young, our lives necessarily revolve around them. They can’t do anything for themselves and they require much from us. The little years are a season of denying ourselves and I think it is also a time the Lord uses to refine us and prepare us for more. It is a time and season, which also means that it will change and we must emerge from it.

If this thought has stalked you, chances are the fog of sleeplessness is slowly fading away and you’re emerging from the little years. While your children will still {and rightfully so} hold a major share of your time, the world is opening up a little bit again and perhaps the Lord is stirring your heart.

My dryer died this week. On laundry day. During the first load. When I was already behind on laundry. Isn’t that how it goes? So my hubby tore it apart that evening and found that our free dryer needed a $12 part–guess it’s worth fixing, huh? He ordered the part that night and we just had to wait a couple days for it to show up. Now, I didn’t mind having to wear my old, ratty, paint-stained favorite pair of sweatpants that I probably should have thrown away years ago {but they are just at that perfect stage of comfy . . .}, but Gator definitely minded his favorite blankie being in the hamper. He is a man of few words, but he got his point across when he glared at me and ripped it out of the hamper several times.

Dear momma friend, what would happen if we dared to lower our masks? If we stepped out in courage and dared to strip away the fake, the lies, the shame, the disguises. What would happen if we put away the fears and dared to be honest? To be transparent? To be real? The answer? Something […]