I'm so excited to share that I'm now a regular monthly contributor over at Red Tent Living! This month, their theme is, "What If?" Here's where that prompt took me: Questions Worth Asking Growing up, my siblings and I had a narrow summertime wardrobe: pajamas and bathing suits. Our days were spent playing in our backyard pool—Marco Polo, DIY whirlpools, and cannonball contests.These were fun and relaxing days, but life wasn’t all carefree for me. I learned how to worry at a young age. I still . . .
One “Short” Week + Two New Posts
I understand that each week holds the same number of hours, but some weeks seem significantly shorter than others. Do you feel that, too? I'm having one of those particularly short weeks right now. FEAR NOT, however. I've pocketed enough time to share a couple of pieces with you. My friends at iBelieve.com have been kind enough to publish two of my posts recently, and I wanted to share them with you. We're talking habits that can hurt a marriage and things we should avoid saying to women without . . .
Guest Post: Leanna Bre Photography
Friends, I'm so excited to introduce you to Leanna today. She is a force—one of strength and kindness and creativity. I admire her authenticity and perspective; I've tried to explain to Leanna how I see her but I feel at a loss for words. She's got that something, you know what I mean? Her authenticity, perspective, force, and that something are why I'm so glad she has begun this work as a photographer. I believe she is doing with her camera what I try to do with my words: Tell stories that are . . .
Living Vows: A Birthday Toast
We are breaking from our regularly scheduled blog programming because TODAY is Darren’s birthday! My Darren—my husband, my teammate, my closest friend. I often tell him that he’s my “best part’a life”—and I really, really mean it. I can’t believe I get to be partnered up with him on this wild journey. Leading up to our wedding in August of 2015, I wrestled with my vows to Darren. I could write them, of course, but speaking them to him, with nearly 200 friends and family bearing witness, . . .
A Giraffe’s Birth: Miracles Inside Miracles
It seems like all eyes are on April these days. You know April—the incredibly pregnant giraffe who gets the least private birthing room possible. For days, people have been tuning into the webcast, hoping their timing is such that they’ll be able to watch April birth the world’s newest giraffe. I haven’t watched any of the footage, mostly because, BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. I watched a giraffe being born decades ago and I feel like I’m just sort of “good” in that department . . .
On Strong Shoulders
“You,” my Mom looks at me with a blend of certainty and empathy in her face, “are so much like me.” “Moooom,” I whine as I roll my eyes, “I knooooow.” I couldn’t possibly have kept track of how many times I’ve heard my Mom tell me this in my 30+ years. Typically, it wasn’t a welcomed comment on my end, probably because my Mom usually tells me about our similarities when I’m being stubborn; in the depths of my stubbornness is not the time for me to ponder generational resemblances, . . .