“Locked Away”, by the brother duo, R. City, with Adam Levine, is a song that I’m sure many of you are familiar with. It was one of the biggest pop hits of the summer of 2015. The lyrics seem to hit on the most basic of human desires…to be loved unconditionally and to have someone who will never leave us. Being truly known is a scary thing. We can wonder, would that person still love us if they knew everything about us?
Read MoreMaking much of Jesus over Christmas isn’t only about commemorating our Lord’s birth. Making much of Jesus is about following his example and living in a way that brings glory to God. As Christians, this what we are called to year-round, but the holidays are a special time of year, where people are often particularly sensitive to the things of God. We can use the holidays as an opportunity to be a light in the world for Jesus and we can lead our kids, through our example, in what this looks like.
Read MoreUnknowns make me uncomfortable, but they’re a part of life, and learning to accept that I can’t control and plan everything that happens to me or to those I love is how I'm learning to trust in Jesus. I rest in the knowledge of Romans 8:28, which says,
I was thinking about the word, redemption, which is what brought this story to mind. The story is about a man named Andy Dufresne who's sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover- a crime he didn't commit. Life in prison is brutal and isolating, but Andy forges a friendship with a man named Red, a man who's been behind prison walls for most of his life.
Read MoreWords of affirmation, encouragement, and affection: our children need us to be generous with these gifts. I recently wrote a post called 10 Ways to Encourage Your Spouse. I intended to follow that up with 10 Ways to Encourage Your Children- but when I noticed that what I wrote for spouses, overlapped with what I wanted to write about encouraging our kids, I decided that rather than be repetitive, that, instead, I would share some favorite posts that I’ve found on other blogs, on the topic of encouragement for our children.
Read MoreRaising Godly Children: Children Who Courageously Follow Their Lord, is a new book by my friend, Aimee Imbeau (A Work of Grace), that I have the honor of sharing with you today. It’s a Christian parenting book that takes a look at marriage, sibling relationships, parent-child relationships, how to effectively disciple children.
Read MoreKinder than is necessary-it’s just another way of describing grace. It’s a phrase that has been running through my head more often than not, lately. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on the receiving end. Receiving grace makes me want to give it- not as a payback, but as an act of gratitude. Those little kindnesses from other people, unexpected, no strings attached, just because…they humble me. They remind me of a bigger picture of grace, as displayed in the gospel.
Read MoreYesterday, Trent was telling me how sad he was because he missed his friends in Wenatchee. I pointed out that he had a lot of friends at school, but he said that none of them were friends that he "could just call up". My heart ached for him, so I prayed a little prayer. One hour later, there was a knock on the door, and an invitation for a play date was extended by one of our neighbors. Today, he was cruising around the neighborhood with these two sweet boys while I had a cup of coffee and a chat with their grandma.
Read MoreI love being able to bring a smile to my husband’s face, encouraging him when he most needs it. You probably feel the same way about your spouse, right? I know I certainly enjoy receiving encouragement, most of all, from my spouse- so I try to be intentional in how I encourage him. I won’t pretend that I’m always on top of it- but I try.
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