Lying on a cold, hard doctor’s table in the middle of the night, too scared to utter a cohesive sentence, I began bartering with God. If only he’d allow this child to live to term. If only he’d stop my …
When Passion Feels Like Failure
I couldn’t explain the tug on my heart to work with refugees and immigrants. I just knew it was there, under the surface, staying strong through the years of raising kids and going to seminary. But though I downloaded volunteer …
The Joy of Dinnertime (It’s Possible)
photo credit: Tiffany King I love to cook, and for the past 10 years I’ve cultivated a business by writing recipes and meal plans for busy families like mine. Recently, I found myself in the kitchen on a Saturday afternoon …
Conversation Three: The Four Most Important Conversations You’ll Have as Parents
This is a four-part blog series. Each consecutive day this week will feature Conversation one, Conversation two, Conversation three and Conversation four in both print and video. These excerpts were taken from a chapter written by Axis in Dennis and Barbara …
How the iPhone Captured Our Roadtrip Joy
photo credit: Jessica Seymour Vacations, in whatever form or wherever the destination is, are often comprised of a unique, but all too common, mix of excitement, pure joy, exhaustion and utter frustration (aka annoyance). Sure, it can be stressful when …
Waterlogged Soul Care
Do you remember being little and playing too long in the bathtub to the point where your skin would start to wrinkle? My mama would always remind me that once the skin got ‘pruney’ it was time to get outta …
My Magenta Shoes
In almost every way I have chosen a colorless existence. A peek inside my bedroom closet reveals a sea of black and grey resting neatly on velvety hangers. My sofa, barstools and kitchen table are all brightly beaming in shades …
Choosing Every Day
I speak as the single mother of two pre-teens (8 year-old-boy and 12-year-old girl). I have also been a first-time mother at 20; the mother who was married to a software engineer working for Lockheed; the mother who moved from another …
Breathe In. Breathe Out.
Have you ever gone swimming? I don’t mean like doggy-paddling your way from the shallow end to the deep-end without getting your hair wet, which is impressive in it’s own right, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I …
Celebrate the Ordinary
I don’t like glitter and I’m not a fan of confetti. I’m not good at celebrating. I’m a doer, a survivor, a caretaker. I can help create a fantastic celebration for someone else, but won’t take that same energy and …