Have you ever read a book and thought, “I’m pretty sure if I knew this writer in person we’d be close friends?” Yeah, that’s how I felt when I first picked up the book, Upside Down by Shannon Guerra. Her writing was so real, so honest, so hilariously funny…I knew if we ever met the only thing that could stand between us being the best of friends might be her obsession with cats vs. my … [Read more...] about Oh My Soul
Living Faith
The Most Important Thing to Remember About Your Name
I’ve been thinking lately about names. If you’ve read my book, Counting Grains of Sand, you know my husband and I had a girl’s name picked out almost from the day we married. Lizzie. But then we couldn’t have children. When we received the phone call about our daughter, when they told us her name was Elizabeth, it was this whisper from God: You thought loving the name … [Read more...] about The Most Important Thing to Remember About Your Name
Life is Better with Fairy Tales and Parables
I was sixteen years old the first time I penned a fairy tale. My best friend and I were talking about the basic fairy tales and how they’d all been around for so many years—why wasn’t anyone writing anything new? This was, of course, before Enchanted and Frozen. So we sat down and started writing stories. Her story was delightful and included dresses made of sunsets. Mine included a girl … [Read more...] about Life is Better with Fairy Tales and Parables
A Little What-To-Look-For-In-A-Husband Story
I like buying my husband hoodie sweatshirts. He wears them for work, layering them in the cold because they give him more movement than big bulky jackets. His sweatshirts get beat up pretty badly. If it's not being crammed behind the seat of a tractor that does them in, it's the grease and grime of a mechanic's life. Especially once warmer weather starts coming and he pulls off layers as the … [Read more...] about A Little What-To-Look-For-In-A-Husband Story
How God is Found in the Darkest Places
My grandmother died the night before my 33rd birthday. Considering that she was 91 years old, it was expected in some ways. Yet, it still seemed a surprise because, well, of course she's always been there. She lived with my parents for almost a decade so my visits with my mom always included her. The idea of her not being there is still foreign. But something happened in Grandma those last … [Read more...] about How God is Found in the Darkest Places
Who Is Jesus? Advent Calendar (Free Printable)
My favorite part about Christmas is the reminder to trace the story again. To remember exactly who Jesus is and what He is doing. It's why I wrote my advent book, Christmas! which takes children through the story from Genesis to Revelation-- reminding them that God promised to make a way for us to be friends with Him, and Jesus (the man who would fight the snake and win!) was the fulfillment of … [Read more...] about Who Is Jesus? Advent Calendar (Free Printable)