encouragement for every season of life
After reading Myquillyn Smith’s philosophy about how lamp light can “sprinkle some cozy” and improve the mood of a room, especially in the winter, I put on my shoes, grab the car keys and my purse, and skedaddle myself off to the Home Goods store. With the sky-climbing Rockies just to the west of us, it gets dark mighty early this time of…
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This past Thanksgiving, I placed my china plates on our dinner table, just as I’ve done since 1995. They come out from their hiding place in the hutch every holiday we’re home, and often for impromptu tea parties in-between. As I sat a plate at each chair, I remembered how its pattern is a classic compromise between my husband and…
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At one time or another in your life, and maybe that time is right now, you’ll feel flattened and despondent from what is being asked of you. In a season when I felt the same, I shared what I was going through with my friend, Alli. The crux of my agony and angst was this: I was plumb terrified to…
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When I saw the little snowflake icon on my phone for Tuesday and Wednesday, I just about ran screaming up Pike’s Peak. I know that sounds dramatic. And yeah, the longtime locals ’round here will say, “That’s just Colorado!” And they’d be right. Still, I was heartsick that a freeze this early could end our fall season before it even…
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Howdy, friend! One year ago this month, you may have been one of the dear folks who helped me send this book into the world. And since you liked the book enough to share it with your own friends and family, I thought you might be interested in knowing that right now you can get the e-book version of it…
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I run around our dining-living-kitchen room like I do before company comes over, making sure there isn’t too much dog hair on the sofa or too little water in the garage sale pitcher with sunflowers. I peek into the oven and see the peach crisp is finished baking. I turn off the oven, but I leave the dessert inside. I…
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I can still remember the exciting summer of ’91 before my senior year of high school, when educator Marva Collins came to my Oklahoma hometown. While I hadn’t heard of Marva Collins before that time, I learned she was a big deal in the education field who’d been featured in Time, Life, and Newsweek magazines. Ms. Collins and her good…
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If you’ve been around this watering hole a while, I hope you’re receiving regular(ish!) fresh air encouragement that helps you see your life and circumstances through the filter of God’s care and provision. I hope you find a story or two here that helps make sense of your own and helps you see your season with more hope and less worry. …
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I know we all have a lot of topsy-turvy crazy in our life right now, but I couldn’t let this month–Month of the Military Child–fade into the rearview mirror without lifting up and celebrating the youngest of those serving our country. In these current times, I can’t help thinking of our military families all the more. As I wrote before,…
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When we were stationed in Hawaii, I homeschooled for one very, very, very long year. Let’s just say it wasn’t a raving success because I let distractions interfere as much as my kids. This proved especially true with those subjects I didn’t really like — namely, anything involving the left side of my brain. One thing said more than once by…
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Recently, Aimée brought a chai latte to my porch, keeping herself socially-distant in the appropriate way even as her heart stayed close. Faith perfected her Kelly Clarkson lyrics, with a side of JoBros thrown in. James and Ethan’s spring break ended, and online classes began. I wonder if our country internet will hold up with five people working and schooling…
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I first met Kristen Welch in 2011 when we roomed together at a retreat in South Carolina. (I still find it crazy that these are the days of meeting people on the internet before meeting them in real life.) I liked Kristen right off the bat–she was warm, welcoming, and hilarious. As a bonus, she also spelled her name the…
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