During our church’s Christmas service last evening, I struggled to pay attention. Tending to my feisty kiddo, and worrying over her distracting antics, all I managed to catch was, “Blah blah blah. Christmas. Blah blah blah. Jesus. Blah blah blah. Joy.” (Which is a hundred times more awful to admit when your husband is the preacher. #keepingitreal) I felt…

At 25-years-old I’ve graduated from high school and a four-year college. Lived in a foreign country. Interviewed for jobs and accepted offers. I’ve been engaged and planned a wedding. Gotten married and went on a honeymoon.  Bought my first Christmas tree. Taken a positive pregnancy test, thrown a gender-reveal party, and sent out birth announcements. Launched a…

Recently I was able to hear Jess Connolly speak at an event, and to say I was beside myself with excitement is a bit of an understatement. I’m kinda a Jess Connolly fangirl. I hustled my car down the interstate at approximately 80 miles per hour due to pure excitement. Also due to my lead…

I’m not sure if you’ve ever been around a nursing baby, but I can tell you they are hardwired to pursue one thing: their mama’s milk. It’s the reason why babies meltdown when their mommies leave the room. (And, to be fair, how would you feel if your refrigerator sprouted legs and walked off?) They…

This year, my blog has reached more people than I ever thought it would. And it’s not because of anything I’ve done. I logged on and I wrote. God brought the increase. Bleeding onto the screen isn’t necessarily fun, but I can’t help myself. Being honest with you is a way I make much of Jesus. Truthfully, the…

If you ever see me at a McDonald’s drive thru, you’ll know times are desperate. Times were desperate. I needed coffee. In my caffeinated hierarchy, McDonald’s iced coffee is slightly above gas station coffee. (PSA: Gas station coffee should only be consumed in extreme circumstances. Barring scenarios requiring an Emergency Room or a Law Enforcement Officer, you owe it to your…

I’ve been journaling through the book of Colossians in my personal Bible study. (To learn how I use Journibles for studying the Bible, see this post I wrote for my church’s blog.) I wanted to share a few thoughts from this passage I’ve memorized. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,…

Though this post is written by way of a mothering example, I pray you’ll find it useful no matter your life stage. First, context. My adorable, sweet, precious, yummy daughter (see: my Instagram feed) is practically perfect. However, she has one glaring flaw: she’s a bad sleeper. Y’all. I can’t even. It’s not that she won’t…

Do you know what’s been encouraging to me lately? Your failures. Before you think I’m a complete and utter jerk, let me explain. I’ve been encouraged by the testimonies of so many women, moms especially, gladly admitting that we can’t. I wrote on this very topic over at Catherine’s blog a few weeks ago. I’m…