I shared in yesterday's post that I went and spoke at a camp for teenage girls in my church this week (remember? Before coming home to a chewed-up shoe? I'm not still bitter...).

It was a powerful experience that I feel I want to share.

I was invited to speak about Divine Identity, and they gave me m...

I recently started taking voice lessons, because I got tired of feeling like I was holding back when I sang. I felt like there was so much more I could do, but didn't know how to break out of where I was. 

In my first lesson, my coach (who is amazing, by the way) taught me 2 things that have helped h...

Our teenage girls are off to youth girls camp today, and spent a good part of the day yesterday getting packed. The list was quite extensive, ranging from the normal clothing and toiletries to a mess kit and work gloves. It told a story of what the experience might be, and it sounds like they have l...

Have you ever found leftover broccoli in your fridge that has been there a bit too long? 

You don't even have to open the container to know that it's beyond the point of no return.

Can you imagine wearing a mustache made of that stinky stuff all the time? 

That's like what cynicism does to us. 

Cynicism...

I’ve heard people talk about blind faith, but I haven’t heard anything about blind doubt. I want to talk about it.

Blind faith says, "I will believe, without any evidence, facts, or analysis." 

Blind doubt says, "I refuse to believe, regardless of any supporting evidence, facts, or analysis."

Neithe...

I went to bed last night wondering what I actually accomplished. I was doing things all day, and felt like there wasn't a whole lot of down-time, but there really wasn't much to show for the whole day spent. As I thought more about it, I realized my day was full, but it wasn't focused . That resulte...

We bought a home 4 years ago with a beautifully landscaped backyard... that would be perfect for a family with no kids. Several features were impractical for our crew, so we're in an extended DIY remodel. 

It's hard.

And not just the physical labor. What I didn't expect is the emotional work required....

Yesterday concluded our mother/daughter NYC trip, and goodness did we have a great time. Our feet were like limp noodles; our bellies full of bagels, pizza, and cheesecake; our brains were on overdrive from all of the lights, sounds, and smells of the city... and we couldn't be happier. 

As we waited...

Chris cut a tree down in our yard yesterday. It was quite a big project! 

He fortunately had a chain saw to help him, but I kept thinking about how much harder it would have been (not to mention the huge amount of time added) to try and do it on his own, with a hand saw or an axe. It would definitely...

Today is graduation day at our local high school, and the word "commencement" is on my mind. 

The dictionary defines the word "commencement" as "a beginning or start." While I'm sure some high school students would rather call it "conclusion," the focus is very much on the new chapter. I love how muc...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the New Testament story of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. 

If you're not familiar with the story, I'll give you the quick version. After a big day of feeding 5,000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish -- which took some serious miracle power, Jesu...

I'm immersed in a creative project right now that has been on my heart for over 5 years now. 

I've chipped away at it little bits at a time, with some progress made but not much. 

It sat dormant while other priorities flowed in (new baby, amazing but rigorous school program, global pandemic, helping t...