Okay, I admit it. I have a fear of deer. Yes, deer. Those quiet packs of field-roamers who eat on your summer vegetables in the early morning hours. The moment I spot one my shoulders tense up to my ears, my eyes open an extra inch and my heart races so fast I have to clench my hands over my chest to keep it inside. Its an intense reaction. My fear of deer developed back in 2003. While driving my now-husbands car home from spring break at his family’s house I collided with not just one lovely creature, but 2. The first one I hit head on. He went sliding…

Yesterday’s post was supposed to be about fear. But as I awoke to the horrific news coming from Las Vegas, there seemed to be enough fear to go around. I am shocked and saddened by the loss of lives. I spent yesterday with my eyes on the television watching survivors and heroes telling about their experiences. I watched as people began to try to make sense of the whys and hows. I have no comforting words of wisdom or reasonable explanations. I don’t understand this violence. I, too, search for answers to explain the loss of innocent lives. As I exited the coffee shop yesterday afternoon, a kind young man…

I’ve been running on need. I need to be here. I need to go there. I need to get this done. I need to better at that. I need to be enough. And I’m tired. I’m stretched thin and feeling weary. Running on necessity has drained me from productivity and rest. Sure, it keeps me moving. Its also unavoidable at times (particularly with multiple children). Yet when we attempt to remain in the constant motion of “needs” we lose our ability to rest and recharge. We forget the joy we once found in certain activities and people. It’s the taxi cab momma who forgets the idle chat in the car…

I’m pulling up a new chair at The Glorious Table. Its refreshing, encouraging, and beautiful. Will you join me? To pull up your chair, click here. Take a look around, find some encouragement, and don’t forget to subscribe! Follow us on social media so you can sit with us every day. You’re always welcome at this table!    

Fitted sheets. They frustrate me in so many ways. They shift and bulge on the bed. To fold one neatly requires four hands and an hour of time. And the bending and stretching required to put it on the bed burns the calorie equivalent of the candy bar I eat when I’m done. But the most frustrating part of my fitted sheet is determining its direction! The first corner is easy. Nearly every stretch to the second corner comes up short. I inevitably start with the wrong corner. Just yesterday my sheet changing started this way again. But when I ran my fingers down the edge I felt a tag…

Failure is the reason I keep going. Yet another rejection deadline has passed, and in the publishing world no news is bad news.  The frustration is strong, and I want to throw in the towel- but that just leads to more laundry! It seems as if everything I do is like banging my head on a brick wall- it gets me nowhere and it hurts! I know I have potential… I just can’t get others to see it! So I begin to make a list of motivation- what gets me to press on when I feel like I’m sinking? Failure. Yes, failure. And its impending threat from someone ready to…

Time to prep for the holidays! This time of year I am always looking for a new recipe. Do you have a favorite? Maybe its something unique. Or a family recipe passed down. Or maybe its a new twist on a holiday standard. Whatever it is, I’m sure its good! So, lets swap some goodness! Post your favorite recipe in the comments below, then scroll through to find something you want to try! Don’t forget to come back and let others know how it went! Participating in The Thanks And The Giving? Why not whip up a treat and drop it by a friends house just to let her know…

November. The month that reminds us to be thankful. To count our blessings. To gather together and say thanks. Its a time to slow down and refocus on the life in front of us. As we settle in this first day of November I can’t help but feel challenged to do more. Not more things to do, but more thanks to give. More love to give. More giving. So, this year I will focus on the thanks and the giving. Yet what do I have to give? Everything. The whispered prayers of help I offer up when the pennies are short are answered with the word give. But what do I have to give?…

I drank the milk straight from the carton this morning. Someone left the smallest amount of milk possible in the bottom of the jug, and frankly I didn’t want to dirty a glass. So, I gracefully hid behind the refrigerator door, put the carton to my lips and downed it. It felt good to break the rules of being a good housekeeper. Recently I have found myself in the midst of friends openly admitting our shortcomings of being a homemaker. Tales of laundry piled high, unmade beds, and bathrooms that need cleaned. Hearing my friends authenticity has given me the comfort that I am not a failure! And because I…

One year. I’ve been worshiping in this church plant for one full year. I’ve learned a lot from the preaching, I’ve felt loved a lot from the people, and I have become happily involved in a variety of ways. Its been a really great place to heal a broken heart. And today the worship transformed into something amazing. And it wasn’t a new song. But lets back up for a minute. My 3 children, my husband and I came here from a good sized church with a kids program with around 100 kids. And here, in this very young church plant, my children warrant nearly half the regular attending kids.…