- feeds
- popular
- recent
- reader
- about
- story
- technologies
- what is rss
- connect
- dmca
- contact
- Feed Preview (in)courage
The Years Give as Much as They Take
Last month, I celebrated a birthday. I always anticipate my birthday far enough in advance that when it arrives, it doesn’t feel like such a big deal. Turning thirty wrecked me, but forty and ...
What Our Ancestry Can and Can’t Tell Us
Before Christmas, many things I wanted to upgrade or try for the first time went on sale. It takes a strong will to resist a good sale, and I succumbed to purchasing two: upgrading from a yearly ...
The Ministry of Breaking Bread
One of our daughters got married on a lovely day in October. Preparing for it long-distance was a challenge. She’s lived in Florida since 2022 and the wedding took place here in Georgia. We mis...
Overcoming Our Natural Instinct to Resist Correction
When writing, I’m private about my work. Even though it eventually goes out into the world in a book or an article, if someone walks into the room while I’m writing, I’ll put my computer to...
When the Culture Promotes Negativity, Let’s Be Counter-Cultural
I paused in the middle of a writing session to open a new tab on my web browser. After years devoted to nonfiction, I’m twenty thousand words into the rough draft of my first novel (it both thr...
This Day I Will Not Forget
My son sat in our living room with Bibles spread on the floor around him. He and I discussed translations, commentaries, and Study Bibles: the tools we use to interpret God’s Word. We talked ab...
Living Our Best Year
After three weeks of hospice care, my mother quietly passed away in her own bed, surrounded by friends and family, on my 38th birthday. She never met the youngest of our eight children, much less...
The End of an Era
Our family will celebrate two milestones in May: our youngest child will graduate from high school and, after 30 consecutive years, I’ll retire from my job as a homeschool mom. This also means ...
Love Thy Neighbor
On Christmas Day, as we sat in our living room and opened presents with immediate and extended family, one of our daughters called out to my husband from the garage. Initially, she sounded calm; ...
Peace When Everything Spins Out of Control
It amazes me how quickly things can go south, snowballing from bad to worse, and I allow myself to become overwhelmed by it all. Recently I had such an experience on what was an otherwise grand d...
The Impact of Each of Our Simple, Singular Lives
I felt my watch vibrate and glanced down at the words on the screen. My attention focused as I scrolled through the details of the message and then fumbled through my nearby bag, searching for a ...
For When You Feel Apprehensive and Uncertain about New Life Stages
By the time we moved at the end of 2020, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I’d painted three bathrooms, three bedrooms, the kitchen cabinets, and all the baseboards as we prepared to sel...
Stepping Back into the Connection You Were Made for
Admittedly, isolating at home in the spring of 2020 didn’t bother me too much at first. I didn’t realize how busy my life had become until it suddenly wasn’t and, honestly, I needed a break...
Marriage Is a Partnership, Not a Competition
A few years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to celebrate a big anniversary in Hawaii, not only in style but at a budget price. A friend who works for an airline offered us buddy passes,...
Her Children Arise and Call Her Blessed
My mother passed away on my birthday in 2004, the year before the birth of my youngest child. More than anything, I miss my mom being a part of my daily life. You’re never too old to need your ...
When You Need to Get Creative With Your Personal Devotional Time
At the end of January we welcomed a ten-week-old puppy into our home, two weeks after the death of our older dog. I’d had a bad case of puppy fever for months but wanted to make sure I was ment...