MANNA FOR 2

I keep thinking about who I'll be when I'm 76. Maybe because my parents are currently 76 and I get to see a lot of what could possibly be in my future. Maybe because, possibly, more life has passed than I have left. Maybe because it's just a natural thing to do. Time exists and it moves, after all. On vacation a little while ago, my sister-in-law mentioned three things her mom does every day that I couldn't help circling back to. They are: Do something good for your body

There's nothing like cresting a sand dune ridge to reveal seemingly endless waves and beach either way you look. It's like the waves are greeting you with their going in and going out, kind of like a hand wave. As the beach welcomes us in, it also pushes us away. If there's a strong wind, it blows against us. The waves beat against our bodies again and again. If there are mosquitoes, they are relentlessly attacking. Will we be courageous enough to withstand the pushes to expe

In a previous post I mentioned waiting to see if a friend would be healed and get to go home from the hospital. Turns out she ended up going to her eternal home far sooner than anyone imagined. She's no longer suffering, she's with Jesus! I got to speak at her Celebration of Life. I was super nervous about it and it took over all my thoughts for a couple weeks between when she passed and when her service was because I wanted to honor my friend well. But God surrounded me with

As I look back on 2025 and reflect on how it went, I see both ups and downs—but God’s faithfulness throughout it all. There was a new baby. There was world travel. And there was the continued juggling of everything else. From the outside looking in, it looks like I crushed it in 2025. “ You did all that!? " people would say. From the inside, I might even agree with the “exceptional” label—giving birth without an epidural, traveling internationally with a five-month-old, an

For me, this Christmas is filled with watching. Taking time away from chores to watch my 9-month-old move around the room by rolling, sliding, scooting—almost crawling. There always seems to be tiny toys on the floor, no matter how hard I try, so I’m keeping watch over the little babe’s safety, but enjoying every minute of it because, after three, I know how fast time goes and how quickly babies grow up. I already miss newborn snuggles. How was that already nine months ago? S

We can't protect them forever. Statistics show that kids are being exposed to things we wouldn't choose—whether visual,...

The other day, my son asked what a “decade” was. Then he asked how long 100 decades would be. I am glad I won't live that long—but I...

Recently, our 8-year-old son, M, refused to go to school because he said none of his pants fit. This logistical hiccup eventually...

I was afraid of pregnancy—the changes inside and out and the pain. I was afraid of labor, of the possibly unknown start of it, and of the...

It’s here again! The hard work of the school year, the tears from trying to get your kids to do what they need to do, the exhaustion from...

Are you a mama who doesn't know where to start with encouraging your child in art at home? As a mom to 2 and an art teacher, let me help...

My 7 and 4 year olds get along great! They have a constant buddy to help them feel comfortable in new situations, a partner in crime, and...