Reluctant Exercise

Reluctant Exercise

I remember moving a lot as a kid. My siblings and I climbed trees, built forts, played tag, and rode bikes.  As a teenager, farm work filled my days, and I stayed strong by feeding cattle, making hay, and gardening. As a young adult, I was careful to keep adding ways to be active: running,…

Worth Doing Badly

Worth Doing Badly

I love Pinterest. Really, I do. And it’s been a helpful tool for me as I figure out what my personal decorating style is, collect recipes to try, and file away ideas for later. I love seeing the creativity other people have, and the beauty God lets us create. But sometimes, Pinterest sets the bar…

Perfectly Unique

Perfectly Unique

Do you have insecurities about your body? If you answered “no,” you’re in the minority among American women. If you answered “yes,” you’ll probably want to read Annie Downs’ book, Perfectly Unique. Not content with talking about areas of insecurity and trying to make us feel better about our bodies, Annie goes straight for the…

Graceful

Graceful

Emily Freeman has a heart for the good girls. She understands the pressure to not mess up, to smile, to be okay, to have it all together. The guilt when you know you’ve messed up and can’t tell anyone for fear of spoiling your perfect image. The exhaustion of maintaining that image, and yes, the…

Fresh Grace

Fresh Grace

A new year seems like such a good place for a fresh start. But sometimes I think it’s hopeless. Over and over I make the same resolutions, the same pledges to do better, only to have them fall by the wayside before the sharp edges of the year have worn off. Those friends I want…

More Than a Meal
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More Than a Meal

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the opportunity to practice hospitality. There’s something about colder weather that makes us want to gather inside and enjoy food and fellowship, and of course the holidays are a great excuse for parties. I’ve only been married for two years, so I’m still new…

Real Education

Real Education

Like most homeschooled students, my senior year of high school was not the experience of typical American teens. I knew that going into it, of course, and while I was fine with no prom, no yearbook, and no cap and gown at the end, I had no idea just how different my senior year would…

Lightening the Load

Lightening the Load

Have you read about pioneers on the westward trails that would leave belongings by the wayside so they could travel faster? In my quest to have more time for things I want to do, I’ve learned I enjoy having less “stuff” to slow me down. Sometimes I feel like a slave to my possessions, and…

Heirloom Crafts

Heirloom Crafts

As anyone who knows me can attest, I love old-fashioned things – from old houses, to antique furniture and old books. I’ve always enjoyed visiting “living history” museums, with costumed interpreters going about a typical day from the past. I’ll never forget a family trip to Old World Wisconsin (note: Go if you can! It’s…

The End.

The End.