Our Blog
Encouragement for every season of lifeBroken
Reaching for the right word was challenging. I couldn’t quite grasp a description of how I was feeling. One word kept coming to mind. As I repeatedly brushed it aside, it came back like a boomerang. Broken. It was one word I didn’t want to embrace. Yet, it was the...
The Hardest Question
My husband and I recently returned from a mission trip to Swaziland, Africa. When a person comes home from a trip such as this, the obvious question from friends is “How was your trip?” Even after nine mission trips I find this an incredibly hard question to answer....
Exercising Is For the Birds
I am 34, with a wonderful and supportive husband and a 4-year-old daughter, wanting so badly to feel better about myself. It is great to have a man who tells you all the time how beautiful he thinks you are. But it is another thing to look in the mirror and feel that...
My Lousy Testimony
A few weeks ago, my church sent out an email blast inviting those of us who felt led to send in our testimonies, presumably to be read and potentially selected to share with the congregation. My immediate reaction was one of disappointment; I thought deep down they’d...
Who Are You People?
Connecting with our kids can be challenging in a day and age where many things seem to grab or pull our attention away to other things. As a mom, especially, I feel like there are constantly things on my to-do list that can pull me away from my kids mentally, even if...
The Joy of Exercise… Clothes
In 2002 I started exercising. I know what you’re thinking: “not until 2002?” And the answer is, “Yes, not until 2002.” Exercise didn’t seem necessary when I had young children at home (although in hindsight, it might not have been a bad idea), and then I kind of got...
Taco Salad to Die For
The first time John and I went on a cruise we fell victim to one of those “let us tell you about the next port” talks, and the cruise information lady told us about a restaurant that has “guacamole to die for.” Not being one to turn down great guacamole, we added the...
Forgive Yourself
Last month a friend of mine changed his Facebook background to a photo with the words “Forgive Yourself” graffitied onto the side of a building. It’s something I say to my son when he does something wrong. He can be stubborn and have a narrow focus, but once I explain...
My One-of-A-Kind Mother
In 1974, my family moved from a Victorian farmhouse outside of Ames, Iowa to a split level house in the town of Huxley, twelve miles to the south. Mom chose the paint colors for our new house. I was always embarrassed when she told people she painted it “yellow for...
Do You Believe It
Have you ever been surprised when something you’ve been praying for actually materializes? It has happened to me, too. My reaction is something like, “Wow, God. You did it!” As I reflect on that scenario, I wonder how much faith I had exerted in my prayer times for...
