Every year, it never fails to seduce me: that shiny new planner with all the extra pages for goal setting and notes. The colorful, felt-tip pens. The bright stickers. The pretty planner supplies call my name, beckoning me to open my wallet, because this year, this planner is going to be the magic bullet that […]
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Everyone is doing it and I can’t help but join in! Today, I’m adding my own list of favorite books I’ve read this year. I’m amazed that I read 70 books this year, and narrowing down my top three in each category was brutal. In fact, I had to add some honorable mentions and some […]
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There’s a dangerous myth in Christian culture that can effect our health and well-being. Maybe you’ve seen it floating around in one of its many disguises, but it boils down to this: Self-care is selfish. Moms are especially prone to believing this lie. We are supposed to be masters at setting aside our own needs […]
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I’m usually a big fan of giving my kids “experience” gifts like zoo memberships, museum passes, and amusement park tickets. Since many of these places are not ready to open safely, or make me nervous about crowds before COVID is under control, I decided to put together a gift guide for kids. What follows is […]
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Hello, my name is Sarah and I’m a recovering people pleaser. I do not want to let you down. I will jump through all the hoops to make sure you like me and think I’m nice. Disappointing you makes me physically uncomfortable. The temptation is strong Last year, I was approached by two moms at […]
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“Mommy, can you add a metal detector to my Christmas list?” My six year old asked from the backseat of the car. I chuckled. “Sure honey. But what are you going to do with it?” “Find TREASURE!” he told me. Treasure hunting Later in the kitchen, my husband told the boys all about the metal […]
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My six year old burst through the door one morning recently to say “Guess what day it is!?” I smiled at the twinkle in his eye. I knew what he was gettting at. “It’s Friday!” I watched him jump up an down with excitement. “It’s PIZZA NIGHT!” he shouted. He and his older brother had […]
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In the spring of 2000, I sat with fifteen of my classmates in our twelfth grade Church History class, listening to Mr. Jones talk about early Christian monks. As we learned more about the monastic traditions of our desert fathers and mothers, he mentioned offhandedly how interesting it might be to try and live as […]
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It seems that our world has changed overnight, and we are now living in an alternate reality. Schools, churches, and businesses have closed for an indeterminate amount of time. Everything is uncertain, causing widespread anxiety. We are facing a crisis that no living being has encountered before and we grope in the dark, trying to […]
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It was my turn to teach the sixth graders at youth group last Monday night. To prepare, I braced myself and read over the lesson on the love of God. When it came time to pull the four students aside, I found myself facing a squirrelly bunch. We opened our Bibles to the right passage. […]
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