I lay squinting in the sun, eyes half closed, toes woven through the thick plastic threads of the lawn chair, and I listen to splashes and laughter. I can hear my boys above the ripple of the crowd, their sweet voices cast into summer air. “Mom,” my redhead shouts, “come into the water and play with us.” I toss my arm into the air and wave back, but it’s not the response he’s looking for. I know ... View Post
When You Don’t Think You Can Be Mom Anymore: Seeking Rest in the Weary
“I think the Holy Spirit has left me,” I texted to my best friend late one night after getting my kids into bed. I’d lost my patience with them throughout the evening as they fought over who was more stupid, who really had Jesus in their heart, who made the mess, who loves the dog more, who the dog loves more, who peed on the toilet, who’s driving mom crazier (it was a draw) – you get the idea. ... View Post
Baggage Claim: How Does God Use Our Failure?
Sometimes, despite my best intentions, I feel like I can’t do anything right. My laundry room is piled up with clothes. There’s more toothpaste on the kids’ bathroom counter than in the tube. I ditch another opportunity to make a wholesome meal and instead load the family into the mini van for a field trip to the local Mexican restaurant. And those are just my perceived mothering failures. Don’t ... View Post
Baggage Claim: Dealing With Doubt
We're in the middle of my series addressing the baggage we can carry as we walk along in this journey following Christ. In week one, I introduced the idea of baggage. Last week we talked about the Trinity of Self as our first bag. This week we're addressing doubt. Have you ever watched a child wait in line for a ride at an amusement park? He starts out patient, a sweet smile in anticipation of ... View Post
Erin’s Book Nook: Stay the Path by Bobbie Houston
A week and a half ago I was slogging through the day, overwhelmed by my tendency to take on too much, anxious about my book proposal in circulation, and with a heart too raw for my own liking. (You can read a little more about that in last week’s blog, Are We Still Seeking Popularity.) It may or may not have been a cry for breakfast kind of day. I was washing dishes that afternoon when my hubby ... View Post
A Heart Laid Bare
I’m sitting in a Jacksonville waiting room, surrounded by family, my grandfather in surgery, a heart laid bare. The last time I was in Florida, we’d driven all night to leave on a Disney cruise. I cried most of the ride down, as I’d found only an hour before we loaded into the mini van that my grandmother had died. In between beaches, animated Disney dinners, and pools so full they looked like Kid ... View Post
How Can My Story Help You Discover Yours?
If you don't know my story, you'll want to watch this. If you've ever wondered about your own story - when it began and where it's going - you'll want to watch this. I'm sharing my heart with you, pain that comes from an honest place, with a dose of hope that was here before any of us. Only after this will you be able to answer this question: How Can My Story Help You Discover Yours? Have you ... View Post