“Wow, Mommy! You look just like a queen in that apron!” Most queens, I bet, spend their afternoons makeupless and covered in splatters of a volcano experiment gone awry while scrubbing a sink full of dishes in an apron. And this, of course, was just a couple of hours after...
3:45 a.m. I had been awake for hours, too uncomfortable to sleep, the babe in my womb kicking and the thoughts in my head swirling. I came downstairs and switched on my computer, hoping to get some of my thoughts out on paper—something about how important it is to treasure every moment spent with your young children, … Continue reading The Other End of the Candle
This morning, as my toddler followed me around the house for what felt like hours asking for Cheerios, I came up with a little "psalm". I'm pretty sure that every parent can relate... You search for me, And you always find me. You know when I sit to drink my coffee, And when I rise … Continue reading A Poem for My Toddler
I shall the effect of this good lesson keeps as watchman to my heart. (William Shakespeare) On Thursday, I read a Bible passage that filled me with the faith to believe that a frustrating season of life was almost over. Two days later, when my circumstances hadn't changed, I got discouraged. "God, it's been TWO … Continue reading Are we there yet?
It's not always the red-flag crisis days that are hardest to take. It's the "oatmeal days". The ordinary, "zero" days of little or no consequence. [...] The days that everyone deals with. We cope. We wend our way the tangle of tedious activity and sandpaper people scattered through our day and get no applause, because … Continue reading The Oatmeal Days
"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." (Col. 3:23, NLT) About a year ago, I had tea with a dear, sweet stay-at-home mom. During the course of our visit, my friend began telling me how much she loves being a homemaker. After expounding on … Continue reading One Motivated Mom
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Prov. 17:22, ESV) Last night, as usual, we asked our two-year old to pray before bed. She raised her arms above her head as high as she could because "it makes Jesus happy" (what a great kid!) and began to pray: … Continue reading Let Loose and Laugh
Five years ago, we bought a very old house that has a lot of character. When I say that it has character, what I really mean that it needs a lot of attention. When I say "attention", what I really mean is "repairs". In addition to needing a lot of fixing up, most old houses … Continue reading Never Buy a Bookshelf from a Pawn Shop
I’ve been watching my niece three days a week. Let me tell you, my ability to juggle three kids under two is (ahem) unbelievable. Literally. Unbelievable. Take today, for instance. I put my niece down for her morning nap at 9 a.m. The idea was to throw my toddler in the bath while my niece … Continue reading Cheerio Dust and Other Fun Stuff
Today, I thought I would give you a glimpse into the life of a parent of two children under the age of two. The day began like any other. My newborn woke up at precisely 7:00 a.m. with a series of grunts that quickly turned into ear-splitting wails. No need for an alarm clock in … Continue reading And then there were two…
The Grace-Filled Life 