So you wander the world and you write and you write and you post and you blog and you – You connect. You don’t know that’s what you’re doing, but it is, you are connecting with something bigger than yourself, something outside yourself, something to give perspective and adult sound to the days of toddlers […]
Being Present and Embracing Life For What It Is
Riverbanks The Willamette (will-AM-et) River winds behind the backdrop of my childhood memories, and now it is winding into the memories of my children. It feels surreal on some level, to be back here with my children and living within a half mile of her banks. The scents are heady: water, douglas firs, blackberries; the baking rocks beneath […]
Wednesdays in the Word: John 1:43b (Jesus Found)
Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Upon arriving: He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” (vs. 43) This word found is active voice in Greek – it is an active finding rather than a passive, meaning Jesus didn’t stumble upon Philip out of the blue, but instead actively sought him out. Jesus looked […]
The Things That Make Up A Life (a goodbye to Oklahoma)
3-8-16 It’s been a hard two weeks. We’re moving west and leaving the military, and this whole transition has left me flailing emotionally. I feel as if I am losing touch with what anchors and as though I am flinging about for something to which I might secure. We’ve done a lot of transition in our […]
Transitions, Goodbyes
Goodbyes We’ve been in the preparation stage of exiting the army for about 8 months now, and here we are, finally coming down to the wire. All the decisions, all the prayers, all the worry and peace and questions. But here we are, and there’s no turning back. David has a few months left on […]
The Days After Christmas
The days after Christmas are the days I love most. All our preparation, all our late nights, early mornings, baking and secret keeping have found their purpose – we feasted, gifted, communed, worshipped, played. Now the hustle and bustle – the silver bells and corner Santa Clauses – tuck away, and the children quiet themselves to work out the projects found under […]
The Survivor Comes Home
The following is a story from a year ago, an experience that kicked off an intense year of “coming home” in my own heart and mind. ___________________ “He’s a wonderful man,” the woman smilingly assures. Her mind is working, and compassion dawns in her eyes. “He’s a chaplain. My husband and I are very close friends with […]
The Truth Behind Pinterest Worthy Images
On Monday morning the kids and I created an advent garland. Sure, we were a week into Advent, and yes, it had taken me that entire week to wrap my mind around this project after reading a tutorial over at Five In Tow. All I wanted was something to help the four year old count […]
School Spaces in Real Life
We school primarily in our dining room, and by the end of the day, our table looks like this: Even though we pick up thoroughly before each meal and bedtime, it’s quite possible that come three or four o’clock in the afternoon a small child has been lost in the disarray. The swiftness with which this room […]
Saving The World On A Saturday Night
You know that scene in “The Incredibles” where the ice dude shouts out “Honey, where’s my super suit?”– yeah. Welcome to the life of an EOD family. There’s my husband, happily lounging in his sweats and a hoodie, when a call comes in. Somebody somewhere has something that may or may not blow up and […]