Our house is in a woods, so my family and I have ample opportunities to observe nature. Squirrels, bats, mice, groundhogs, deer, possum and even an occasional red fox have made appearances around our home. Not to mention the countless varieties of birds that frequent the trees nearby. One of my favorite forest visitors are barn swallows. Nearly every year a swallow couple will build a nest on one of our downspouts. I’ll always remember our first pair. Shortly after their nest was constructed, I stealthily climbed to a spot where I could see inside without making mother bird too upset. ... Read the Post
Fifteen Minutes Before the Storm
One day as I was sitting on my couch reading through my Christian Woman magazine, I kept thinking in my head about all the beautiful women I know, and how I would love to look like each and every one of them. They all seem to have it so put together all the time, and my life always seems so hectic. I sat there thinking and cherishing the fifteen minutes I had to myself because the kids and just gone to bed and my husband had just left for work. You know those first fifteen minutes of the calm right before the storm of laundry and dishes and all the other things we moms/wives have do before ... Read the Post
Squiggly Marks, Stripes and Polka Dots
It started out sweetly enough. My daughter, Taylor, was patting my legs and looking at me in her own precious way. She then said, "Mommy, what are those stripes on your legs?" I looked down at my legs and tried to explain that while I was pregnant with her, I was teaching and was on my feet a lot. As a result of being on my feet so much and carrying her, I got little things called spider veins on my legs. She then said, "No, not your squiggly marks, the stripes?" As I looked down at the "stripes" on my legs I shared with her that Mommy has pale skin, which makes it easier to see the veins ... Read the Post
Beauty From Within
Do you ever notice that some women seem to become more beautiful with each passing year? It’s as if they have a glow about them which is rooted from deep within. I have several of these friends, and I have come to realize that their beauty has nothing to do with their outward appearance. It has everything to do with their relationship with Christ and those they love. Society would have us believe that beauty is attainable with the right products, the right clothes, and, sometimes, the right surgeon. I know that these things are all temporary fixes, but many of us have come to feel we don’t ... Read the Post