she spent her life being about her Father’s business
Oh how I’d hoped to give you a hug this side of Heaven.
But you touched my life from afar. Just like you did the lives of so many others.
Non-Fiction
Can’t Steal My Joy: Holding On to Truth in the Middle of Tragedy
Sometimes, in the day to day life as a mom, I need perspective. I don’t need someone to tell me five ways to be a better mom. I don’t need another book to tell me how to keep my house perfectly clean and organized (though if there’s really a secret that works, I’d be glad…
What makes you strong and powerful? (a book review from my daughter)
Empowered contains the stories of eleven women whose lives were shaped by God. Catherine Parks tells each one’s story in an original and enlightening way. The word “empower” is a magnificent verb meaning “to give power or authority to.” Catherine Parks explains in the introduction to Empowered: How God Shaped 11 Women’s Lives (And Can…
shouting God’s battle cry through the hard things in life
I still remember my aunt’s phone call that summer of 2006. My cousin Brian had met a girl. I was newly married myself. And I couldn’t have been happier that my strong but tender-hearted cousin had found the girl he wanted to marry. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room the next January. Heartland’s…
air mail, love stamps, and the delayed gratification of the postal service
“Letter writing is such a heartless method of communicating. First, one has difficulty putting into words what he really feels—then he must worry for fear what is written is misunderstood—and that for a good long time, since he cannot erase once the post-box has banged shut, and then he must wait—and that is worst of…
Epistolary Books That Will Have You Checking the Mailbox
I met my husband when we were thirteen years old. Our families exchanged mailing addresses after a “chance” meeting and a few hours’ conversation in Yellowstone National Park. His big sister became one of my many pen pals. Soon so did his little sister. And then one day, when I was 17 years old, I…
Counting Grains of Sand
The year our baby girl was born was one of the hardest yet. Six weeks of bedrest, wondering if the baby was going to make it anywhere near term. Four hours of emergency induced labor, knowing each moment was further endangering the baby’s life and mine. Hearing the words life flight. Seeing that look on…
The Beauty of Grace
The blogosphere is full of words these days. Our friends are always sharing the latest, greatest, must-read post. And sometimes, the noise is overwhelming. We stop looking for new blogs to read because there are just too many to choose from. We turn off the web browser with the flashing ads and turn to the peaceful pages of a…
#ReformingSocialMedia: a review of the book by Mandy J. Hoffman
When my oldest daughter lost her two front teeth, I immediately snapped pictures. And my first instinct was to post them to Facebook and email them to the great grandparents. But then I remembered a story Mandy J. Hoffman told in her book #ReformingSocialMedia. When her daughter got her ears pierced, Mandy refrained from immediately posting the…
WordSnacks: a review of the new devotional by Natasha Metzler
Natasha Metzler’s new book WordSnacks is filled with devotionals that are quick and easy to read, and like a good snack, are chock full of good protein, essential vitamins and minerals for the soul. In WordSnacks, Natasha brings biblical truths to life. She distills difficult Old Testament passages into words that are as simple as they are encouraging. She applies familiar verses to fearful situations,…
Your Real Food Journey (a new book from Trina Holden)
I’m an all or nothing kind of girl. When I clean the closet, I have to do it all in one day. If I’m going to organize my office, I need time to do it all at once. And if I’m going to make changes to our family’s diet, I want everyone to be on…
Living Life on Purpose (a review of Notes from a Blue Bike)
Each January I read the posts about choosing one word for the year. And each year I think, how could I begin to sum up my hopes for the year in one word? How could I guess what my year will hold? But this year, I kept wondering–what if I were to choose a word this year?…
The End.
The End.