Category: grief and loss

This week, and truthfully the last couple of months, we’ve experienced several things going wrong. In the great big scheme of things none of these issues were that bad, but when a lot of thing go not quite right in the same general timeframe, it can lead to a...

In 1979, my parents moved to Virginia where my dad would begin his preaching career. This congregation was a new church plant, which came with both challenges and opportunities. When they arrived, they met a man named Tom Jones. At the age of 60, Tom became a Christian by following...

Growing up, I quickly learned that I was different from many of my peers. My parents were married to each other. My siblings weren’t half or stepsiblings. All four of my grandparents were alive. I even had a great-grandmother still living. My great-grandmother died during my sophomore year in...

We are intentional about everything we do in our family. When we first went through the Marvel movies (in chronological order not release date order), we enjoyed the storyline and the opportunity to discuss reality vs. fiction and good vs. bad with new content. Recently, we went through the...

Another book finished! Madilynn and I greatly enjoy our time listening to stories together. I’m providing a classical education in the form of entertainment. The best part is sharing a love for reading as we imagine the lives of the characters while spending hours together in the car. Pollyanna...

Reviewing the week with Seven Quick Takes allows me some much needed time to focus on the positives and reframe the challenges. The week started off with pleasant weather for Super Bowl Sunday. Though we attend a gathering, we care little for the game. We love the fellowship of...

In 2020, we faced challenges unlike other years. In our family and community, we learned to do things differently (sometimes in silly ways). In February, before the world lost its mind, my sister and nephew came for my birthday. I haven’t seen them in person since, because Seattle is...

Having a tribe that encourages you and believes in you makes all the difference. I found such blessings in Sherril and Christy. Together, we set out to encourage and build other women. We have plenty of fun in the process. We ended the year by watching Wonder Woman 1984...

Several years ago in my daily Bible reading, this verse jumped out at me. The phrase “radiant with joy” became my goal, vision, and mission statement. While my blog has evolved over the years, this theme runs through every post, every article, and every video I share. In recent...

As a homeschooler, the days are filled with learning. Some lessons have more formality than others. Even during the summer, I encourage my kids to read every day and learn at least one new thing. Not all lessons fall under “reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic.” In fact, many of our...