On May 1, I gave birth to a nine-pound, ten-ounce baby boy at home in our bathtub. Amazingly, he was born en caul, which means my water never broke. He was the fourth baby to have been born in that tub, and the eighth baby to join our family. When my husband and I got…
“All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.” ~Helen Keller “How have your challenges changed you?” I asked. Her posture shifted, and she sat up confidently. Without a moment’s hesitation, she answered. “My challenges have not changed me. They complete me.” I sat in awe, rendered speechless. Maybe it…
And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3, NIV) The mountain of laundry beckoned to me, begging me to fold each piece and put it away. Sighing, I pushed away my half-eaten breakfast and started in on the pile. The twins flew past me, one pushing the other in an…
I walked into the library with my four kids. Before we even stepped off the entrance mat, my little cuties informed me simultaneously of their need to use the bathroom. I don’t know why I’m inconvenienced by this request. Everyone is entitled to go potty. I just don’t delight in the adventure that is the…
Growing up, I viewed God as someone who was looking down from heaven, wanting me to love and serve him. But I also imagined he was so disappointed every time I messed up that he was keeping a Santa Claus–type list of everything I did wrong. I assumed he continually felt let down because I…
I am twenty-two years old, I just graduated from college, and I’m at a point where I dread the question, “So what’s next for you?” because I’m never sure how to answer. Honestly, I’m sure of only one thing: I will keep following Jesus. But this season is not a picture of the life I…