Dear Nate- Here’s the funny thing I see happening in our family right now, Nate. Long ago you were assigned to be The Smart One, The Sweetheart, and The One with No-Drama. As the fourth child in a big family, you didn’t get much of a say in who we decided you would be. Except...Continue Reading
Dear Sam- You know that sign in our gameroom? The little one that says, “Love like Catie, Live like Elisabeth, Laugh like Sam, and Look like Nate?” When we jokingly hung that up, everyone agreed we had one part right—laugh like Sam. Because you, my dear boy, know how to look at the world and...Continue Reading
Dear Catie- Wait. Hold on What is happening here? You—my oldest daughter, young woman, sixteen-year-old—are changing right now more than you ever have before. I did not see this coming. You, who has always been so exceptionally sweet and laid-back—and a certified black belt at relating to other people—are becoming something even more. Just when I thought I knew you completely,...Continue Reading
Dear Elisabeth… My dear El, you are a devourer of books. You are a voracious teller and reader of all the stories. For most people, this year—Seventh Grade—is an epic chapter of dramatic proportions in their life stories. It’s the awkwardness of sudden growth spurts (or the lack of those spurts). It’s the hormones and the crushing peer...Continue Reading
Life in 2020 sounds like a terrible melody of treble notes—-scarcity, panic, and complaining. But our souls need the bass notes. We’re all craving real truth and encouragement.Continue Reading
Hurricanes are Dramatic. So is COVID. Hurricanes change lives in dramatic, unstoppable, irreversible ways. So does COVID. The difference, though, is most of the hurricane drama happens in one long night of trees crashing, windows shattering, and floodwaters soaking everything. Through that one night, everyone is praying for the hurricane to pass and morning to...Continue Reading
To run a 5K, or redecorate your living room, or crochet a scarf, or write a book, you have to start with tons of grace—like endless heaps of it.Continue Reading
Wow. The highs are high and the lows are low right now, my friends. Before this, there were so many weeks that I wished for just one quiet day to be with my people–maybe accomplish some house projects? Ha. We are on Day 32 of exactly that. The Ups and Downs of Control. There is...Continue Reading
It takes about a month, but our family has discovered us. We’re into the second month of COVID19’s quarantines and cancellations. Our family has gone through all the stages of disappointment, boredom, curiosity, and fear. I’m surprised, however, to find that we are also grateful. We didn’t ask for this pause button; and yet, we...Continue Reading
Connection & Consequences–that’s what your teen needs from you in 2020. I’ve learned this first-hand these past few months as I’ve stepped back into the high school classroom. I’m teaching one class of seniors at a wonderful Christian school. Spending these past few months with these 17 students has reminded me what teens need. Our...Continue Reading
