letter to a new bride I want to be an encouragement to you as you begin this journey as a wife, and even in the unfolding years ahead. I should begin with admitting that I have a distinctly unfair advantage on this chosen topic: I have been blessed of the Lord with a precious husband who is very ... read more
The Not-So-Cinderella Happily Ever After
Its more than the way her blue dress glides across the ballroom floor, as if the breath of life met a watercolor painting, or how her ever-so-perfectly messy hair flows in the breeze as her horse canters through the forest. Disney’s 2015 live action Cinderella is simply captivating, a film I could ... read more
Real-Life Love Stories to Give You Hope While You Wait
Why do I love reading love stories that really happened? Is it the part of me that enjoys real butter, homemade bread, chicken soup from scratch . . . or the fact that a little suffering creates a great big desire for authenticity? Most of all, I think it’s the fact that true stories show me another ... read more
To Joey, With Love: A Movie Review
About four years ago, Joey and Rory Feek, a Country and bluegrass duo – and real-life husband and wife – were set to film a music video at their farmhouse in Tennessee. But last minute, someone made an unexpected decision: Rory was not going to sing in the video.The song they were filming was a ... read more
How to Make It Feel Like Christmas Even When You’re Newlyweds
My husband and I will celebrate our first married Christmas this December. Although we were dating last Christmas and spent some of Christmas Day together, it feels different this year in a lot of ways.For example, practically, we're making a home together, so we have decorating decisions to ... read more
skip the identity crisis & choose freedom
If I could write a letter to myself ten years younger, I wouldn't write wistfully: you have zero gray hair! you aren't yet jaded by burnout! you have so much enthusiasm! I know now how much joy will come wrapped up in the painful lessons of life and I will almost pity the shallow happiness of my ... read more
Beyond the Hope Chest: Preparing for Marriage (Or Not)
I sat looking glumly at my overflowing hope chest. Once the darling storehouse of my dreams – or at least the place where I stored things for my dream life someday – it seemed to mock me now. How many years had some of those items slept in the chest? I was 27, and after a rough breakup, marriage ... read more
