Recipes only work when you gather the ingredients and follow the steps. Turning to the page and wanting to make it won't get you very far, no matter how good the recipe is, no matter how much you think about it.

And just because you choose and make one recipe, doesn't mean you're limited to only ever...

If you're going to create a painting, you won't start with every bit of color on your palette. You'll start with the background, then work your way forward, one layer at a time. Don't assess the beauty or value of the painting by what the first layers look like. Work your way forward, adding more de...

A beautiful gift can be given and not received.

The giver can want the recipient to accept and cherish it, but that doesn't mean they will.

This doesn't tell you anything about the gift or the giver. 

It simply says that the recipient wasn't ready or able to accept the gift.

God's gifts are everywhere,...

I had the best customer service welcome EVER yesterday. Our twins and I spontaneously decided to stop at 7-Eleven (can't say I've ever actually written that out...) for a treat. We chatted normally as we walked in the door, but were greeted by the most surprisingly cheerful gasp and a jolly middle-a...

If you didn't catch the sunset yesterday, it doesn't mean God is punishing you. It might just mean you weren't available or positioned to see it (He loves you enough not to force you to get outside and enjoy it).

Sometimes we scratch our heads and wonder what we did wrong, when things aren't going th...

When stars are interviewed on the red carpet, they're often asked, "Who are you wearing?" 

I've been thinking a lot about labels lately, and the connection came to my mind about designer labels.

As we grow up, we're given labels to wear -- starting with our parents/caregivers, then expanding to friend...

I'm going to reveal just how old and dorky we are, but Chris and I have started watching a lot of Bob Ross's "Joy of Painting" episodes to relax at the end of the day. We're regularly blown away by how quickly he can paint a very realistic-looking boulder or "almighty tree" or reflection in the wate...

You can make all kinds of guesses about what a baby will be like before it's born, but it's a waste of your time.

The baby will come with its own personality and gifts.

The baby will grow, and you will celebrate what he/she is becoming.

The baby will make mistakes, and you will love it anyway.

Your time...

You can make life decisions based on fact, or based on fiction. 

The difference is the set of assumptions you start out with. 

If you begin with assumptions that haven't undergone some serious scrutiny, you run the risk of ending up with a very crumbly foundation. Making big decisions this way will le...

We don't get to demand to see the valley from the summit just because we're worthy of witnessing the grandest views. That's not how God works. 

God wants the grandest views for us. He knows the simultaneous peace and exhilaration this experience brings.

He also knows what it takes to get there: one fo...

You can wait to go to the gym until you're strong enough to look good being there... but that's not the point, is it? 

Strong starts out squishy and committed. 

Slide on the workout pants, lace up the shoes, and get at it. 

I was pretty proud of myself yesterday morning. I got dressed for church (with accessories, even -- which is a big deal for me), prepped my piano binder, made avocado toast for myself and our 6-year old, and actually got out the door on time.

Winning.

I rode calmly to church with the family because I ...