I don’t know about you, but there are parts of my body I take for granted.  I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how much I appreciate my spleen or my eyelashes. I mean, they’re doing a good job, but it’s not like I would miss them the way I would my fingers… [ read more ]

A few months ago I posted a review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp . I’ve been counting gifts ever since. I’ve found it’s impossible to be grouchy and grateful at the same time so gift counting is something I wanted to be intentional about in 2012 . In December, I wrote about Joy . Joy in suffering . Joy in the Moment . Our real reason for Joy . So imagine my Joy when I discovered the Joy Dare for 2012 . An opportunity to… [ read more ]

I was a straight-A student in high school. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I enjoyed tests, but I was good at them. They were a source of pride. Proof that I had learned the material. And then I went to college. The first year or so went smoothly. But then my engineering professors… [ read more ]

We spent all of October focused on renewing our minds . Then we’ve spent the past several weeks considering thankfulness. Have you noticed how crucial a thankful heart is to renewing your mind? I have. I’m living it. Right now. I’m having the kind of day that has, on occasion, turned me into a grouchy, short-tempered mama. And… [ read more ]

One of the things I am most thankful for is that my husband is a reader. I come from a family of readers and I’m not sure what I would do if I couldn’t share my love of books with him. I’m always on the hunt for authors Brian will enjoy, but he reads with… [ read more ]

I wasn’t expecting a God-moment as I drove to get my hair cut last week. The kids were in the back of the van, and for once, I wasn’t running late. It was just a normal day. I was doing normal things. And then it happened. But I almost missed it. The splash of color… [ read more ]

I think the truest test of the power of a book is whether or not it lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. And if, in the lingering, it inspires you to change. Based on that definition, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp is a powder keg in hardback. I was a little skeptical at first. I… [ read more ]

 I love my Tervis tumbler.  It happened so fast, all I could do was pick up the pieces. Literally. You wouldn’t think an 8-month-old had hands that move at the speed of light. But mine does. I walked by the counter, and before I could say, gasp, yell “NO!” he had grabbed the… [ read more ]

I plan to spend November sharing a random assortment of things I am thankful for. Today, I want to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, there was a girl whose parents insisted she go to bed at a reasonable hour, even though she wasn’t sleepy. So she would dream up elaborate stories to… [ read more ]