Serving God across the ocean or across the street

July 3, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Living in southern California, I never thought I’d speak French again until one Sunday morning when our church pews were especially crowded and I found myself dusting off my second language like an old pair of boots. My parents moved our family from California to France for full time mission work when I was seven. […]

How to see God in the everyday

June 27, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

I sit down in the early morning hours to get some work done, but I am interrupted by this nagging thought: our dog Barney doesn’t like to poop in the rain. I watch the sprinkles come down and worry that he didn’t do his business while he was outside. I write a sentence, then leave […]

Why you should take the long way home

June 21, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Every June, we leave our home in San Diego to spend a few months visiting family in our home in Michigan (one of the perks of being married to a professor is all the time off!). It’s the sixth summer we’ve done this and we have a routine: Max drives the 44 hours with the […]

For when you need grace

June 6, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

What do you need grace for today? This week, I find myself in need of rest. We are wrapping up the school year, and gearing up for two months of summer fun with our family in Michigan (this is when it pays off to have a husband who’s a college professor!) The packing/cleaning/shopping to-do lists […]

How to be a “Yes” Mom

May 30, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

It had been a long day. I was still unpacking from a family trip, catching up on laundry and groceries, and doing all the things. I sat down on the couch after dinner, content to let my two boys watch an NBA playoff game with my husband. I had just draped my favorite blanket over […]

How a Lost Stuffed Animal Taught Me to Love Well

May 23, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

We shuffled forward, inch by inch, until we were at the front of the line. A short man in a black suit jacket called us to his register. While the boys played under and around the counter, the man issued us our hotel keys. I took in my surroundings, marveling at the ornate lobby in […]

6 Things I’ve Learned as a MOPS coordinator

May 16, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

This month marks the fifth year I’ve been the lead MOPS coordinator at our local church! If you’re not familiar with MOPS, it’s an international organization for Mothers of Preschoolers (and younger). We meet together for friendship, support, and to hear a guest speaker. I’m excited to lead our group into the next year of […]

Do you really know how to read the Bible? (These 3 books will help!)

May 9, 2019.Reading time 7 minutes.

There’s a trend I’ve noticed lately: using the word “biblical” to describe a topic. Biblical parenting. Biblical marriage. Biblical finances. Biblical diet. I don’t deny that the Bible may have wisdom to share about these topics. But there’s a danger in using the term “biblical” in this way: 1. It implies that one way is […]

How to Boost the Value of a Gift

May 2, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Over sixteen years ago, one of my husband’s buddies gave us a wedding gift. It was a cream colored quilted blanket with a fringe, the kind you drape over your couch and grab to keep your toes warm on a winter night. I was impressed by the gift, but he laughed and said his mom […]

10 Insanely Helpful Gifts for a New Mom

April 25, 2019.Reading time 8 minutes.

My sister had a baby on Saturday – a girl! She lives on the other side of the country and it will be a few months before I can visit. In the meantime, I’m soaking up all the baby pictures she sends me and reminiscing about that wonderful-terrible time right after bringing the baby home: […]