Excerpt from a guest post I wrote for KindredMom.com. Golden light hung over the country fields around me on a glorious Sunday evening. My tennis shoes hit the pavement in tempo with the music dancing through my earbuds. This mama hen had flown the coop for a few quiet moments away from her chicks. I… View more
(This post is part of the Enemies of Grace Series. Click here to learn more.) They sat there in my closet, judging me as I tried to fall asleep. Two bags. One with some adorable gray fashion boots and a pair of black ballet flats. The other stuffed with several cute tops and a new… View more
November is just a few short weeks away. And that means it’s time for me to ramble around in the depths of my basement and pull out the holiday tree. No, not that tree: The Christmas tree won’t make an appearance around here until the turkey and stuffing have filled my tummy and the leftovers are stowed away… View more
(This post is part of the Enemies of Grace Series. Click here to learn more.) It was a fall day, the wind whipping around in so many directions, it seemed to push at me from every side as I set out for a morning run. A bout of bronchitis had attacked me earlier in the… View more
I know it’s only October, but I can’t help straining my eyes toward the next month of the calendar, and the holiday it celebrates: I love Thanksgiving. Time with family. Delicious food. The warm colors of autumn decorating the house while we eat pumpkin pie. The spirit of thanksgiving wraps my heart in joy like the ooey-gooey… View more
(This post is part of the Enemies of Grace series. Click here to learn more) A few months back, I had the great joy of attending my son’s sixth-grade band concert. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much when I sat down in the auditorium that evening and surveyed the group of beginner musicians on-stage…. View more
(This is part of the Enemies of Grace series. Click here to learn more.) It happened while I stood chatting outside with a few other moms. Two young girls skipped around, giggling and having fun in that blessedly screen-free way that only the littlest among us can achieve these days. I was alone, but the… View more
Welcome to the Enemies of Grace Series! Here, you’ll find posts about 7 slippery habits that pull us away from God’s grace. I call them “slippery” because they can show up in surprising and subtle ways: If we’re not intentional, we might not even notice how they’re quietly filling our hearts. Over time, though, they… View more
(This is part of the Enemies of Grace series. Click here to learn more.) Ever feel like your life has fallen a little out of tune? I still remember trying to play a quiet, old hymn on the piano, called “Haven of Rest.” Sounds like a perfect tune for a group of sleepy nursing home… View more
There are a lot of ways to be humiliated as a volunteer youth leader. Over the years, I’ve been dragged into all manor of activities that full-grown women should never have to endure: Paintball. Middle-of-the-night pranks. Loud concerts where so-called “Christian artists” assault my ears with their “music.” Of course, the stereotypical youth leader loves… View more
