Our Blog
Encouragement for every season of lifeThe Pull of Home
We moved to a new town the summer before I began fourth grade. A shy bookworm, I had stick-straight blonde hair down to my rear, 90s bangs, and an affinity for wearing a Mickey Mouse tunic and leggings. It was summer, so without school to help me meet other kids, I...
Picnic Perfect Cake
When I was a kid, we spent nearly every New Year’s weekend with my parent’s college friends, known to us as Aunt Janet and Uncle Bailey. They had two kids who were close in age to us and we always had a ton of fun together. Being as we lived in Southern California,...
My Pastor-Husband
This is nothing like a sister-wife. But I believe that having a pastor-husband saved me from the brink of nearly losing myself to postpartum anxiety after the birth of my second child. My steady, anchoring husband has always been the one in our relationship with two...
Beaten, but Thriving
Recently a hail storm hit our home and surrounding area. We were fortunate to not have damage to our home or cars, but my gardens were smashed to bits. My front hosta and water fountain area took the brunt of all the hail stones coming together off the roof of our...
Don’t Forget to Celebrate
“It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, MSG) "Mom. Our neighbor was right; turning seven is THE BEST." My son continued on excitedly, describing a school day...
Got Grit?
On our recent vacation, my husband wanted to hike to the tippy-top of Black Elk Peak to view the Black Hills of South Dakota from a magnificent fire tower made entirely of stone, perched on a summit high above everything else for hundreds of miles. It sounded so...
Further Faster
At a recent conference, Andy Stanley utilized a phrase, “Further Faster.” Andy was speaking of equipping growing churches to go “further, faster.” You may be working on growing the church you belong to. You could be working on building your career. You may feel God...
When You Feel Homesick
The clock reads 12:15 a.m…then 1:15 a.m…now 2:30 a.m. I lay here, still awake. Unable to sleep since waking with one of the kids who needed to use the restroom. Unusual for me, as I am typically able to fall back to sleep quickly, but tonight my mind begins to race...
How to Make the Most of Summer
“A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul.” Proverbs 17:22a, TPT Summertime in Minnesota needs to be celebrated and lived to the fullest. Here are a few ideas that will bring a smile to your face and health to your body and soul. Grab your cup of...
Feel Like Waving the White Flag of Surrender?
Life is hard. Best friends get cancer, children struggle in school, mental illness is real, and companies lay off people. So how do we handle the tough stuff? Do we shut down, pull the blankets over our heads, and wave the white flag of surrender? That may work for...
