Can you believe we’re in the last month of the year already? As such, it seems only natural to reflect. I’ve chosen a “word of the year” over multiple New Year’s Resolutions for many years. My word focus often goes in a different direction than I planned. As a...

Do you have specific holiday traditions? I believe in making the most of every day and creating memories. Whether it’s an official holiday or a movie marathon, these memories often start in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and making treats. However, my treat-making started because of food allergies. It’s...

Many years ago, I heard a song by Hallal, called “Broken Things.” The song begins with the plight of the farmer, pushing the plow and fighting the elements. The farmer is weary from the work. The chorus says, “Oh Lord who uses, broken things/ Who through broken clouds, gives...

One Sunday morning in June of 2023, I woke up to a weather alert on my phone: areal flood advisory. This didn’t make any sense. When we checked the forecast the night before, there was no chance of rain for ten days (as far as the app lets you...

As I think about, pray about, and teach about the election this year, I am not focused solely on Super Tuesday. I’m not even worrying about the outcome or its implications. Rather, my focus is teaching my children about OUR election. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,...

Each fall, we meet other homeschoolers at a local corn maze. The temperature in October in West Texas ranges from already bitterly cold with biting wind to still blazing hot with not even a breeze. No matter the weather, we set out to have a good time. We go...

Let me preface this conversation with a confession: I have not been successfully “taking every thought captive” lately (2 Corinthians 10:5). Some of my words have been the opposite of wholesome talk, useful for building up (Ephesians 4:29).  This week, my daughter had ballet every day for the summer...

On Wednesday evening after Bible study, I took one of the ladies home that does not have a vehicle. Typically, I leave the kids behind to play for a while, before I get back, we all help clean the kitchen and fellowship hall. My son is at camp, so...

Cleaning out clutter is about more than “stuff.” So often, we don’t realize how much stuff is accumulating until we decide to clean. The second half of May tends to be when I tackle the piles of stuff because we have a break in activities for a few weeks....

For the second time this year, while entering Lubbock for ballet class on a Tuesday, my tire alert went off due to road debris damage. This time, I was within two blocks of my destination, with built-in people to help my son change the tire. Unfortunately, this tire was...