As my head hit the pillow, my brain sprang into action. Worries I had kept in the back of my mind all day suddenly vied for my attention: What if my dad catches COVID-19 while he’s in the hospital for his cancer surgery? How am I going to homeschool three kids? When will I ever find...

I couldn’t sleep, I wasn’t eating. A knot twisted my stomach. I couldn’t focus on tasks that required more brain power than folding laundry. I was utterly consumed.

What was wrong? you ask. What hardship were you suffering that so consumed you?

Absolutely nothing.

My...

Almost a decade ago, I sat at dinner with a friend and wept. Postpartum depression wouldn’t relent, my husband’s business was keeping him busy far beyond the “normal” 40-hour work week, and my infant son had just been diagnosed with Down syndrome. I was struggling but...

We had a wonderfully low-key Thanksgiving this year. Lots of food, lots of fun, and lots of downtime–the perfect combination for this introverted mama. And a recipe for success for Joey, who can get a little overstimulated and a lot grouchy when life is turned on its ear, even for fun...

“Well, you just need to…”

I stopped mid-sentence.

Matt had been telling me about a project at school that was frustrating him—or to be more specific, a team member for the project who was frustrating him. Matt has big feelings and a crystal clear (in his own mind) sense...

Sometimes I forget.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually forget my son has Down syndrome. It is with us every day when we slog through reading basic books, every time I struggle to understand what he is trying to say, and every time I wonder if he doesn’t understand...

You guys, I am gearing up for a new season of ministry. A new website is coming. (Yay!) A new newsletter is in the works. (Woohoo!) And maybe one or two other new things that you’ll just have to wait to hear about……….

And as I prepare for the new, I’m reflecting...

I embarrassed myself yesterday. I walked into a situation with joy and confidence, and left feeling humiliated. And the worst part is, it was in the evening… so when I went to bed, my embarrassment played on a loop, keeping me awake long into the night.

Ugh.

It took a while before I...

I am no stranger to mom guilt. We met when Grace was just a newborn and I accidentally scratched the entire length of her calf when changing her diaper. I cried for five solid minutes. And I turned crimson when the pediatrician asked about it at her next visit. Don’t worry, the doctor was...

I didn’t really “get” fasting for a long time. As a kid, it seemed like some sort of mean test from God: “If you really love Me, you’ll go hungry.” Then when I got a little older, fasting and praying felt like the way a toddler gets what she wants: “If...