Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of homeschool moms. As I was praying about what to share, I realized that the most important thing I can share with anyone is what Jesus has done in my life. Our stories of redemption and grace hold incredible value. So I shared. I … Continue reading An Omer of Manna: Finding Joy When Life is Hard
What can you do when you lose your joy? Check out these thoughts on Psalm 13.
"I will wake the dawn with my song." The words were beautiful on the open page in front of me. It was not even 4 a.m. but the birds were chirping loudly as if, somehow, they had read those precious words too. Insomnia is a side effect of the kidney disease treatment ... and early mornings … Continue reading With a Song
I stand at the sink and watch water wash over the strainer piled high with grapes. Purple skins glisten. As I spill them onto the counter, I can hear the baby fuss, hungry. I pick up the knife and slice the fat ovals into quarters, dark skins giving way to juicy green. As fast as … Continue reading To Inherit the Earth
Last night's moment of grace was cleverly disguised. It began in the morning. My gut instinct said, "Don't put alfredo sauce in the crock pot." But I did it anyway. Even before I left for work, I could see that it was a mistake. Sure enough, when I got home, I lifted the lid of … Continue reading A Salvaged Feast – Grace in the Mess
Thanksgiving. We were just about to leave for a family hike when the phone rang. It was the hospital calling my husband into work. The sun was bright, the air was crisp and the red and gold trees were breathtaking. I wanted to be outside with my family, all of us together. Instead, I found … Continue reading The Thankfulness Tree
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. (Romans 12:12, NLT) I threw my Bible on the table. Hard. "I'm done with this," I told my small group. "Don't bother praying for my situation because there's no point. I give up." This was two weeks ago. I know it sounds … Continue reading A Confident Hope
But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” (Matthew 19:14). My toddler jumps up and down by the door. "I'm coming to the store!" she announces breathlessly. I had promised my daughter that, after dinner, I would use … Continue reading The New Scissors
A lot of people have been tweeting about "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp. I haven't yet read the book, but wanted to write down some blessings anyway. I think there are about twenty gifts buried within this post. So here goes ... some things for which I'm thankful: My toddler, who has beautiful blue-eyes and … Continue reading Gifts
"The blessing of the Lord makes rich ..." (Proverbs 10:22) We had dinner out on the water yesterday. It was spontaneous and special. We threw the canoe on the car, packed the girls in the back, and drove off into the Hamilton wilderness. (That would be Cootes Paradise, for those of you who are scratching … Continue reading Canoeing the Desjardins
The Grace-Filled Life 