Do the thing that you're afraid to do. For a few years now, I've been telling myself this on repeat. One of the things that makes me nervous? Learning how to swim. It seems silly. And being a family that's always outside, people are often surprised by this. I get it. I always tell my … Continue reading Swimming Lessons
Tag: Faith
When Your Child Wrestles with Big Questions
"Why doesn't God ever answer my prayers?" Her anguish rolls down her cheeks in large, salty droplets. I gather her shaking body into my arms and hold her close. It was a little thing that set off the flood of tears, but I know the question stems from something much bigger. Why, Lord? I've asked … Continue reading When Your Child Wrestles with Big Questions
Share this:
Bitter Roots
When my neighbour got too old to garden, the nettle moved in. It came in from the alley, under the fence. It spread through rhizomes -- rootstalks that crept unseen beneath the soil. The rhizomes sprung tall and dense patches of weeds. My neighbour's beautiful gardens, the ones that brought her so much joy, were … Continue reading Bitter Roots
Share this:
Confessions of a Former Helicopter Mom: How Letting Go Has Changed Our Lives
As I spotted the sweater on the other side of the clothing rack, I knew. She was going to choose that one. It was blue camo. Old-school style fleece and massively oversized. It was everything I didn't like and everything she loves, and I'm trying to let her be herself. So when she picked … Continue reading Confessions of a Former Helicopter Mom: How Letting Go Has Changed Our Lives
Share this:
When Being a Fighter Means Asking for Help
Today is Bell Lets Talk day here in Canada. Whatever your thoughts on that, I think we can all agree that putting our stories out there is risky. Others have done it and their courage changed my life. Now it's my turn to be brave. This is the short version of my story, but it's … Continue reading When Being a Fighter Means Asking for Help
Share this:
A Promise for a New Year
The grey sky outside my window is etched with leafless branches. The ground below is muddied brown with rain. The unusual warmth today holds no hint of the wintry cold that's moving in tomorrow … or the return to regular scheduling. It's our last day of Christmas break. Routine is beckoning. The past few weeks … Continue reading A Promise for a New Year
Share this:
When Things Don’t Go As Planned
What do you do when things don't turn out the way you wished they would? When people you love are suffering. When you're holding your breath for a miracle, but the miracle doesn't come. What do you do with that? The Bible says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Rom. 12:12). … Continue reading When Things Don’t Go As Planned
Share this:
Embracing Wonder
Embracing wonder. If I were to choose a phrase or theme for this year, this would be it. The wonder of learning. The wonder of living. The wonder of simply being together. In all the heaviness and nitty grittiness of life these days, there is loveliness to be found. Even if it's sometimes hard to … Continue reading Embracing Wonder
Share this:
Rest for the Overwhelmed Mom
In the noise and in the hustle, there’s a voice that whispers, “Come, My child, and rest.” In the twirling, whirling chaos of life, there’s a place of quiet that beckons. Peace, Even in the midst of it all. “Come away with Me.” Words so sweet, so full of promise. Words so soft, they … Continue reading Rest for the Overwhelmed Mom
Share this:
Book Review: Memory Making Mom
Despite the early hour, the latest pop music blares through the coffee shop speaker system. My seven-year old sits across from me, happily eating a chocolate-banana muffin and spooning whipped cream off her maple hot chocolate. She's going to be wired later. I'm not sure if it's the muffin or the prospect of hanging out … Continue reading Book Review: Memory Making Mom
The Grace-Filled Life 