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How to Make the Most of Your Time: A Review of “Around the Clock Mom”
I awaken before the little ones for the first time in what feels like years. There’s a fresh skiff of snow resting like a cloak over frozen earth. I brew the coffee – careful not to make any noise whatsoever – and I whisper these words, “Make the most of your time alone, Stacey. This is a rare gift.” Every mother knows about the gift of solitude. Space to sit with your thoughts before the daily barrage of endless questions is the most precious kind of gift. I pull a chair to the window while the coffee drips like it’s keeping track of time. There are goldfinches at the birdfeeder…
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Jesus’ Words for Your Troubled Times and Mountaintop Moments (with Deb Wolf)
The pines dance silvery-white in the morning sunlight, and if I listen closely enough, I swear I hear them singing in unison. Winter is the quiet season in this part of the world. It’s also the time of year when my soul starts itching for Jesus’ words to reach down from the fiery firmament and speak into my weary heart. Not long ago, God sent more than just a few of Jesus’ words to speak into my life. I was in a season of faithful Bible-reading, but I felt spiritually dry. By God’s grace, he led me to Deb Wolf’s new devotional journal for women. Deb’s 52-Week Devotional Journal for…
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4 Unexpected Ways to Encounter God in Hard Times
I’ve been thinking about how to encounter God in the ordinary moments of my days for a few years now. Looking back over these years, I smile as I consider the reality that quite often, God did the most soul-shaping work in my life in very unexpected places. I consider these thoughts as I put myself in the shoes of a young man who has tried so hard to do the right things in his life. He is engaged to a special girl, and he’s eager to spend his life with her. They are preparing for a long life together when, suddenly, the unexpected unfolds in front of them. She…
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God, Lead Me in the Right Direction: 9 Prayers for Guidance
I recently drove ten minutes to the North Country Trail for an hour of hiking beneath the naked arms of the hardwoods. As I walked, I considered my life, my daily rhythms, and the state of my soul. “God, lead me in the right direction in my life,” I prayed. Every few months, I slip away to talk to God about the direction of my life. Mostly, I want the assurance that I’m walking according to God’s plans. Perhaps you need this space, too. Today, we’ll talk about how to find God’s direction and the importance of seeking his guidance. God, Lead Me in the Right Direction We all need…
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Sweet Bekah Is Launching Her Own Blog for Kids
Throughout the past year or two, our sweet daughter Bekah has been asking to start her own blog for kids. A few weeks ago I told her if she could write fifteen posts to convey her commitment, we would do it. Honestly, I expected her to write a post or two and lose interest. Much to my surprise, she cranked out all fifteen posts with focus and determination. With sheer ten-year-old vision and insight, she has proven herself. Her vision is to write devotional posts each Wednesday and posts with fun activities every Friday. It looks like we’re doing this! Honestly, I had plenty of reservations. This isn’t a vision…
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5 Prayers for God’s Guidance in Uncertain Times
Snow falls like a quiet kind of awakening, and when I listen closely, I can hear the heavy flakes gathering. I stand among the beech leaves as they cling to finger-like branches, waving at the dusk like these chilling grey days are not only expected but welcomed. As I listen to the leaves rustle, I begin praying prayers for God’s guidance into the next season. I invite you to join me as I sort through my thoughts in the woods. Afterward, I’ll share five prayers for God’s guidance. 5 Prayers for God’s Guidance On this dusky evening, snow falling like anything but grace from the ever-grey sky, I’m here in…
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How to Be Thankful to God Even When Life Is Hard
It’s a quiet Wednesday evening, and I return home with a truckload of groceries to find an empty house. I have no idea that the evening is about to be a lesson on how to be thankful to God even when life is challenging. After stowing the food in the cupboards, I slip to the deck and discover my family playing in the backyard. They are laughing, wrestling, and chasing the beagles across the wilted wildflower fields. Standing on the deck unnoticed feels like a rare invitation to step back and truly see the big picture of my life from afar. I’m sure other moms can relate: Somehow, the kids…
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3 Ways to Have Less Stress at Christmas This Year
We walk to the hill where the fir and spruce trees mingle in a dozen shades of emerald. Within milliseconds, the youngest falls into the thorny branches of a hawthorn crabapple, and the oldest is tangled in a knot of burdock. I take a deep breath and ask God to help me push back against stress at Christmas this year. Later in the day, after the tree is wired to the wall in the corner of the living room, I reflect on my desire for peace this Christmas. It dawns on me as the Christmas bulbs glow in a rainbow of color: Peace on Earth has already come to dwell…
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How to Find Freedom From Your Secret Sins
A hint of frost rests on the once-lavender heads of the Canada thistle today. I sit at the window with intentions to soak in God’s restorative presence, but what settles upon me sends a chill down the nape of my neck, like frost on a clear winter dawn. The chill is my body’s response to the reality that the secret sins of my life are not hidden from the One who paints the dawn with shimmering ice. Most of us have secret sins. We want to find freedom, but we feel stuck, and we’re not sure what to do about it. Feeling Bound by Our Secret Sins Perhaps a certain…
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How to Savor Life and Find Deeper Joy in the Ordinary
I take my bike to the open road at the end of a too-long day just to feel the air brush up against my skin. I want the breeze to carry my cares across the hay fields, where they might get lost and tangled in the dormant silage stubble. I’m not pondering how to savor life as I speed down the road; mostly, I’m embracing how good it feels to take a break from the chaos of our energy-filled home. I’m three miles into my 12-mile route when I see it. There’s a balloon flogging in the wind, tied to a small headstone in the little country cemetery. It reads,…
