We are the moms who hug, dance, and snuggle. We are the moms who get overwhelmed, whose snarls sometimes come easier than our smiles. We are the moms who live in the push-pull of exhaustion and joy, in the tumultuous world of feelings and giving all of ourselves. We are the moms who pray our children will fly while a tiny part of our heart grieves their flight from us, because we are the moms who love those children with every fiber of our being. We’re not sure where they end and we begin, but we know we didn’t begin until they arrived. We are the moms who work around the clock in a million di ..read more

Despite my extroverted tendencies and sometimes bubbly nature, I’m a fairly quiet person. I often sit back and observe people. I’m contemplating and analyzing and even over-analyzing. I’m not quick to speak and offer my thoughts and opinions. So, needless to say, when I do speak, I’ve put much thought into what I want to say and how I want to say it. I’m not perfect, but, I do try my best to be strategic in my conversations. I try not to be careless or haphazard with my words. I’m also a deep feeler. I don’t necessarily communicate what I’m feeling, but I feel everything. I even have feelings ..read more

There was a time when I wore my ability to keep on working even when others couldn’t or wouldn’t as a badge of pride. This was especially true as a busy mom. I had a long list of places I wanted to give my time and attention, because I believed my help — my busyness — was the only valuable thing I had to give. My favorite compliment during that time was, “I don’t know how she does it.” How did I do it? By being resentful, mad, and exhausted. The tendency to let others take advantage of my willingness to help even seeped into my marriage. Not only was I expected to manage the lion’s share of th ..read more

“The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart — not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.“ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 CSB Generosity and provision in the kingdom of God don’t make sense. From our perspective, there’s always an end. Things run out, whether that’s finances, energy, or time ..read more

There was a thick, burnt orange line painted across the hospital tiles. That line, that final threshold, is the point of separation where parents part from their children as the nurses wheel their beds into the operating room. I found myself grasping for ways to ground myself as my feet pivoted. The wall was blue. The sign above was red. My daughter, my daughter. Orange. Orange. Orange. It was a battle to stay in my body without collapsing; to force my feet to go in the opposite direction, away from that place of departure. As I lifted my gaze from the floor, I almost lost it again. Because ..read more

I speed-walked down the hallway at church, late for a steering committee meeting for our church moms group. And that’s when the gal caught me in her crosshairs and asked me for the sixth or seventh time, “Hey Kristen, did you decide if you’d like to join the Bible study I’m hosting next month?” I wanted to be annoyed at her persistence, but in all fairness, she’d asked for the sixth or seventh time because I’d told her five or six times I’d think about it. I pondered her phrasing… like to join the Bible study? Well, yes, I’d definitely like to. The problem was that my schedule already bulged a ..read more

When I was a little girl, my favorite thing to hear was that I was weird. Whether the words came affectionately from the lips of my mom or as a critical observation from the kid across the street, I didn’t care. “You’re so weird” made me beam — because I was weird. I was a girl who happily (and confidently) marched to the beat of my own unrhythmic drum. When I was seven years old, the year was 1989, and neon green biker shorts with a black polka dot skirt with a fluorescent pink tank top was my favorite outfit. But I took the typical bright 80’s color scheme to my own Becky level. I ..read more

I flip-flopped for weeks about whether to sign up for Bible study. Not because of the teacher or the content, but rather, for the first time in decades of living sold out, over-the-top committed to the local church body and all it stands for… I’ve become cynical. I’m over church. I’m over attending on Sundays. I’m over the apathetic actions I witness from Christ-followers. My apathy comes out in deep swirling emotions in ways I’ve not expected. I’ve been hurt by a lack of authentic community, hurt by leadership choices, hurt by not feeling heard. I lay awake replaying hastily made decisions. I ..read more

DaySpring’s new book, What To Say When You Don’t Know What to Say, is a guide for navigating serious moments with clear, compassionate communication. There are times when life’s challenges can make us speechless. But that doesn’t mean we should stay silent — especially when we’re in a position to offer life-giving words. This useful guide provides helpful tips and words to share when readers aren’t quite sure what to say. It draws on Scripture to offer compassionate, biblical communication prompts to strengthen relationships —  and readers can impart words of truth and peace to give hope where ..read more

The hunter-green box sat tucked among books in the antique store, a mystery hiding in plain sight. One word on the spine caught my eye: puzzle. As an author and a voracious reader, I’m naturally drawn to the book section of any store, my neck bent as I peruse the selection. But I’m also a puzzle person. Every Christmas, Mom and I try to beat our personal record of puzzles completed. Movies play in the background while we sort, organize, and put the pictures together. We have it down to a science at this point, starting and finishing fourteen 500-1,000 piece puzzles over the last holiday break ..read more