So, this is really brilliant. I am a Bible study writer, who keeps forgetting about the Bible. How does this happen? How am I so selfish and forgetful and lazy that I want to write inspirational ideas about Jesus, but I can never remember to START WITH THE BIBLE? The really fantastic pattern goes something...Continue Reading

Last week, Mike and I finally agreed it was time to replace the old couch in the beach house. Naturally, we turned to our favorite Swedish furniture store. IKEA’s Friheten Sleeper Sofa has clean lines, inventive storage, and  a low price. Most of all, it was not the 30(+) year-old couch that thousands of soggy bathing suit bottoms...Continue Reading

{No FAQ today because Oh My Goodness the craziness that was yesterday. When you have four students at a school that cancels classes minutes before the first bell, it rocks everyone’s world. Elisabeth cried real tears she couldn’t go to school. Catie cried tears of joy she didn’t have to go school. Sam and Nate...Continue Reading

Happy Birthday, M…. Turning thirty-nine is dangerous territory. The temptation is to become obsessed with your next birthday, to make this year all about what you can squeeze in before forty. To treat thirty-nine as an evaluation point, a “have I accomplished enough to be successful?” observation deck for your life. Anyone who believes in...Continue Reading

This morning I’m writing from Chick-Fil-A.A man is talking on his cell phone, while also placing his order. Obviously the CFA employee is thrilled with this set-up. Especially since she has to start every question with, “Excuse me? Sir? Bacon or sausage?” and then, “Excuse me? Sir? Did you want fruit?”It’s a chain reaction because...Continue Reading

Last week we put Best of Times Beach House on VRBO, with the hopes that if we built a cute house and if we built a vivid online description of that house, renters would come.Oh. My. Goodness.They have come. They have come through emails, emails, and more emails. Turns out that when a family is...Continue Reading