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It's such a tiny space in the rafters of our patio roof--barely enough room to hide the smart plug and extension cord that light up my Mood Swing.  It was a boring stucco wall where I have my quiet time outside, so I grabbed a cheap canvas and painted my vision of what following Jesus looks like--and my favorite quote from Jill Brisco:  "All the Way Home."   I've written more about the painting here, but basically, it's a reminder to carry our cross all the way home, even when we're tired, even when we want a break, even when we...

Time is tricky. It presents itself as the ultimate equalizer. No matter who you are, where you live, or how many resources you have…we all have the same number of hours in our day. How we use those hours and minutes, however, sends us on vastly different trajectories.    As I processed my emotions—painting over Asher’s nursery… time inevitably felt cruel and treacherous. . Wasn’t it just last week that I stretched my weary back as my 34-week pregnancy belly and swollen feet stepped back to admire the rainforest I didn’t know I could paint until it was finished? The...

A wise friend once told me: "everybody's plate is full.  Some people just have smaller plates."    This week our plates feel like they are spilling over.  I could list everything; it would shock and overwhelm some people, while others would say, "oh, you should hear MY week…." it isn't a contest, so I will say:  whatever size our family plate may be, it doesn't feel like it's quite big enough for our yeses this week.  The tipping point is that after 15 years, we are redoing Asher's room.   *Psychologically prepare for a blog on the horizon that will...

In my devotional I read: Mary must have been utterly exhausted. Joseph was certainly deeply stressed. Christmas BEGAN with overwhelmed parents. I wrestle with the fact that God created the scenario where His chosen would be heavy and burdened and inconvenienced to say the least. And also, 100% in the middle of His perfect plan. Can we go here? In some ways God left them at the end of their best efforts, at the end of obedience, at the end of doing everything right: birthing a child they didn’t even create, in a barn. The first Christmas. Stressed, tired, overwhelmed,...

If you've been to my house, you've probably been on the extended tour, which takes exactly 3 minutes and includes our master bathroom because it's black and people usually like it.   My house is small. Brad jokes it used to be 2,800 sq ft until I painted it down to 1,500. I say, "we live in a little house, so we can afford to leave it ." We have lots of quippy ways to justify to ourselves and the other grownups how it's totally cool that we still live in our starter house.   Honestly, it has been a...