*This post contains an affiliate link. These are wild times we’re living in. No doubt your routines and lifestyle have slowed down or even turned upside down. As parents who love our kids, we want to do everything we can to help our children experience peace and calm even when the world outside our home is fearful and chaotic. It is my hope and prayer that these strategies will be of service to you, not only in crisis, but in the good days ahead. Calm in our home starts with us as parents. If we want to cultivate a calm atmosphere in our homes, it starts with our own hearts and minds ..read more

I still remember the pile of books I checked out at the library when I was pregnant with my first child. Three kids later through toddler years, special needs, home education and health challenges, I can’t tell you many how many of those piles I’ve read. And I’m grateful. As a 5 on the Enneagram and a chronic researcher, it’s hard to find someone who believes more in the value of books. Yet as I watch my kids running around the house, I’m amazed at how many times I’ve leaned on those books so much so that I almost missed the most important thing right under my nose: friendship with the Holy Sp ..read more

Someone needs to hear this today: You have permission to not engage in every single debate swirling around you. And certainly not publicly. We live in an Information age that gives us more access to news and information than any one person can keep up with. And here’s the thing, everyone’s threshold is different. Some personalities naturally have less bandwidth for the unending information and debate of our culture. I think it’s safe to say all of us have less capacity to shoulder the constant news in our face when going through periods of illness, loss or transition. On top of ..read more

(This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.) #1 Our kids need to see us have fun. I don’t know about you, but I can be a bit…task oriented. It’s not a bad thing and don’t get me wrong, I can be SUPER silly, but the reality is on any given day, I’m juggling a LOT. Life can be stressful and overwhelming at times, but truly even with great optimism and intention, I know my face doesn’t always reflect the joy I want my kids to remember me having. I used to shame myself for not exuding contagious joy with a bubbly personality, but more and more I’ve realized that seizing th ..read more

I love hospitality. I love small gatherings around long tables, delicious food and wholehearted conversation. The implications of hospitality have marked me on so many levels. It’s transformed the way I see the Holy Spirit as well as my children, but recently I found my heart ruminating over an idea I’d never considered before: hospitality toward my own soul. Perhaps this sounds intriguing or even a little odd. That’s fair. But I believe there’s something in this mindset that’s critical for us to thrive at the root level and so much at stake if we miss our invitation. Like a dinner part ..read more

“It’s not fair.” I gawk at the spectacle of pink blossoms, thousands of them matted in the grass. Just a day ago, they welcomed me home from our vacation. Even the darkness of our country road couldn’t silence their pronouncement of spring’s arrival while we were away. I gazed up at them, wondering if a picture could capture their magnificence in the dark. No way. A memory would have to do. I couldn’t help but smile at them as I carried bags into the house, secretly wondering how long the blooms would stay. And now, here they are at my feet. Half of them are missing ..read more

What’s a mom to do when she’s hungry for Jesus but feels like this season of motherhood affords no margin for what her soul needs most? We know that God is with us and in us, holding all that we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), but how do we reconcile the distance and difficulty we can feel with the truth we believe? Why can it seem that peace and rest are just out of reach? It can leave a busy mom wondering if maybe the communion she craves with Jesus won’t be experienced until she gets through this season. Maybe we’ll feel more mindful His nearness when the kids aren’t callin ..read more

I have a confession. I’m a church kid. Which means I grew up hearing Scripture my whole life and I’m ever so thankful for it. (Mom and Dad, thank you.) The challenge is that sometimes the verses I can inwardly quote hang disconnected from their surrounding texts. That’s why I often take one book of the Bible and read it over and over again. So much richness emerges when I’m enjoying the sweeping story of an letter or story. Lately, I’ve been doing that with 1 Timothy.  Because the Word is alive, I find those familiar words I can quote in my sleep call me beyond casual interpretation to a life ..read more

This has been one of the most transitional years of my life. For starters, it was our first full year in a new community and now for the first time in 15 years, we have a new church home. I know some of you dear friends can relate. A loss of familiarity can be daunting if not straight up terrifying, even in the face of smiling and authentic people. Building community takes TIME. And what we envision as easy doesn’t always feel that way in the process. I’m learning over and over that that’s okay. So, I made another bold baby step forward this morning by attending a ladies’ Christmas br ..read more

Anyone else start Advent, planned to use a wreath and realized they still didn’t have one? (My hand is raised.) Or maybe you just need a nice centerpiece to add some warmth and texture to your table. I’ve got you covered. I made my first ever homemade wreaths last year and planned to do the same this year. We’ve been enjoying Jennifer Naraki’s Slow + Sacred Advent and we found ourselves half-way through the first week of Advent with no wreath. So, I started brainstorming about how to get the wreath look I wanted without lugging 3 kids to Hobby Lobby (I love you, Hobby Lobby.). This wreath beca ..read more