I don’t want my children to be simply entertained through life. I want them to show up for the purposes for which God has created them. I want them to do the things that only they can do. I want them to have the living conversations that can only come from their hearts and mouths….
Tag: marriage
My Book Now Available!
*At this time, there is no hard copy of this book. It is only available as a free audiobook. Read on for details! Yesterday, I released my first book. On the outside, it looked like a normal day. Breakfast, homeschooling, lunch, book club, music lessons, supper, laundry, going to sleep with a baby in my…
Faith and Miracles (Ch. 6 Read-Aloud of The Sacred Everyday Book) Podcast #39
Are you going to have more? How do you feed them? How do you do it? And the often-implied but never-spoken–why??? When people see us with our eight children, they are curious. For the past 6 weeks, I have been reading aloud a chapter at a time of my book, The Sacred Everyday, A Search…
Nothing is Wasted: Motherhood and the Surrendered Life (Podcast #29)
When I look back over what I dreamed my life would be 19 years into my marriage, I could not have imagined the impact motherhood would have on me. So many of the goals and aspirations of my life have shifted and refocused themselves into the everyday rhythms and rituals of raising a family and…
High Risk Life (Podcast #21)
Life can feel so risky–marriage, parenting, meaningful work, just getting out bed… In this podcast, I share how a life of faith can prepare us for every step of our high risk lives. You can also listen and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. Love this podcast? Join my inner circle of supporters…
Embracing Every Season of Motherhood (Podcast #17)
Sharing Pitter Patter, a song that I wrote when my first babies were small, as well as thoughts about becoming a woman who embraces motherhood at every stage. This photo is my breathtakingly beautiful mother, age 43, holding me, her ninth child. I learned so much from her example. Talking about finding gratitude, praying for…
Voices of My Life, an abridged biography
It’s easy to look back over years as a series of big events–the day I was born, schools I attended, graduations, marriage, jobs held, the birthdays of my children… These are the visible rings around my tree, the important details in a brief biography of my life. But when I close my eyes and let…
Thoughts on My Mother and the Miracle of Existing in this World
My Mama had nine children. I am the youngest. The fact that I exist in this world at all is not a small miracle. I see it all now, like the iconic scene in It’s a Wonderful Life, where Mary is closing up the library. A world where I don’t exist. My husband is scorching…
Marking a Season
I miscarried nine days before our 15th anniversary. There we sat, across the table at a little cafe, drinking coffee together. Our six living children were home with a friend who gave us the day together to celebrate our marriage. The week before, Randy and I had privately laid the whisper of a body down…
Living with Vision
I am up early this morning, before the little ones. In my closet-office (where I sit in a corner at a small desk, typing this under a rack of hanging clothes), I am armed with a steaming mug of Darjeeling tea, a couple of Cinnamon-Orange-Almond-Spelt muffins, and the promise of a glorious uninterrupted hour of…
This Morning I Sat Down at the Table With My 22-Year Old Self
This morning I sat down at the table with my 22-year old self. She drank ginger peach black tea with cream and sugar. I drank darjeeling, black. We met in a cafe, the kind with classical music and the pleasant hum of conversation in the background. The people sitting next to us wondered if we…
Family and Flexible Vision
I wish that I could find a (nonexistent) journal entry from back when I was in college where I said something like: “Ten years from now, I can see myself…” And then I described the vision of my life. The vision I had before marriage, before kids. Wow. That would be good for a laugh….