I was recently looking through some old pictures and was instantly drawn to this one—a picture of my mom putting on my shoes.  This is a task she likely did thousands of times, but of which I don’t remember any.  With five kids in our home, I thought …

Spring is perhaps my favorite time of year.  Watching the vibrant colors break forth from the gray of winter and the warmth of the sun push out the cold delights my soul. It’s no wonder God chose this incredible season for the backdrop of Jesus’ death and resurrection—the moment …

Recently, my friend, Ashley Sears, invited me to be a guest on The Stories Unveiled Podcast.  She left what we'd talk about up to me, so I chose to have a conversation about something I've been growing in, stumbling in, and seeking to grow more in lately--balancing …

If we were to write down all the adjectives we’d like to describe ourselves, I doubt “needy” would make many of our lists.  We don’t want to be needy.  We want to be helpful, productive, and self-sufficient.  We want to be needed by others, not to be …

Our friend Maddy is an incredible sculptor.  When she went out on her own to begin her sculpting business, Luke and I wanted to support her by commissioning a piece of her work.  The tricky part was deciding what to have her sculpt—something that was meaningful, maybe a …

A newer tradition for us is to spend time thinking of one word we would use to describe the past year and one word we would like to characterize the coming year.  Last year, the word I wanted to describe 2022 was “prayer.”  I definitely spent more time …

One day, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a great windstorm arose.  The waves broke into the boat, and it filled with water.  The disciples were terrified.  But, Jesus was in the stern, asleep!  The disciples woke Him and said, “Teacher …

A while back, I heard a quote where a Christian defined himself as “just a beggar telling other beggars where to find bread.” I love the quote and hope it is a statement that would define my life as well—for I am, indeed, a broken and needy woman who …

This summer has been filled with several camping trips with family and friends.  We mostly stuck to our favorite spots in Idaho, although we did go on one longer excursion to the Oregon coast.  Though it takes a fair amount of prep, several hours of cleanup, and a …

A couple of months ago, we had the joy and delight of having Brooks’ birth mother, affectionately known as Mama Amber, come stay with us a for a few days. One evening, we stayed up late, as she shared more about her life and the difficult circumstances surrounding her pregnancy …