She does not eat the bread of idleness

2019, here we come! Word for the year Our family word for this year is oikonomos, which is translated from the Greek as steward. This word is made up of two Greek words. Oikos generally refers to household, abode, dwelling, or clan (i.e. someone’s immediate family and area of influence). Nomos is often translated exclusively as Law but […]

A day for blue hair

I have a confession to make. For much of my life, I have been someone who valued externals. Sometimes this has been at the expense of finding a depth of inward beauty that does not conform outwardly to a guideline I thought was necessary. As a mother who must show the way to her daughters, the […]

When Simple Isn’t

I love the time of year when I get to reflect on the previous year of schooling and see the growth of the children and myself. Every year we have areas where we hoped for more fruit than what developed, and every year we have areas of unsuspected weakness that turned into opportunities for great […]

The grit of feelings

It’s not often I come across an article referencing Common Core standards that doesn’t mention the catchphrase “grit” and relate it to what we must be building in our kids in the modern world. While I agree with the idea of helping our kids develop perseverance and tenacity – in essence a strong work ethic […]

Favorite ♥ Moments First Day of School 2017

Here we are embarking on our eighth year of being a homeschooling family. This year will bring some new challenges and new rewards. I look forward to the many hours of discussions we’ll have and watching wisdom and understanding grow in the eyes and words of my children even as their physical bodies grow. Our […]

Braces and a cradle swing

There’s a cradle swing laying at the foot of the cross. Next to it is an itty-bitty pair of leopard sandals with pink flowers on them, brand-new and only worn once. There’s a tiny pink baby blow-up pool. There’s a Bumbo seat and a play mat with well-loved teething toys. There’s a bassinet that won’t […]

When both my feet left the ground

It was getting to be late in the evening one day last year when my husband and I both looked at each other with tears in our eyes, having just had a very painful conversation with some people we’ve loved for a very long time. We both had the same thought and spoke it out […]

Beating sibling rivalry with selflessness

Sometimes without even broadcasting its presence, sibling rivalry sneaks up on our household and sucks the life and peace out of our home and family. There have been seasons where it has gotten so out of control that I have seriously wondered if I would ever see the fruit of Messiah in my children. The […]

A letter to a mama who just miscarried

Of bloody noses and yearning eyes

My children can probably set their clocks to their mama’s hormone-induced rushing about that occurs toward the end of every single pregnancy they have witnessed. This summer has been no different. My planning and organization often gets the better of me as I try to cram mercilessly fit every possible item I can into our […]