My Dad always said Valentine's Day was a made up holiday and that we should be loving our people well all year long. I tend to agree with him, but I still think it's fun to be a little extra intentional this time of year! Besides, what else are we Midwesterners to do in the dead of winter?? All that pink and red brightens up the grey! Here's a few ideas to share the love as a family this Valentine's Day (or any day!). Make Cards This is a classic one with the kiddos. Fold paper, cut out hearts, decorate with stickers and markers. Repeat. Give. … [Read more...]
Questioning God in the Midst of Grief – #griefstories
I started writing #griefstories as a way to process my pain and hopefully help others going through their own. Questioning God in the Midst of Grief is normal - it's what we do with those questions that makes all the difference. I wanted to share this portion of my journey because I think it's something we can all relate to. For more support, join the free 4 day grief support email series here. … [Read more...]
Loss and Birthdays: What Death Has Taught Me About Life
I'm turning a year older this weekend, and I can't help but think how different I am. Last year, I remember feeling like I had finally gotten to the end of a tunnel. Life and light were ahead of me. I had dreams and plans. We had just celebrated Logan's first birthday, our family was happy, Josh was going to be home from work more, our respective families were doing well, I'd finally gotten a handle on my depression, we were looking forward to our vacation. And then everything changed. If you need more support on your grief journey, sign up for the free 4-day grief support … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Choose Love When Marriage is Hard
Love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. I probably heard that a hundred times leading up to my wedding, but didn't really understand it until the first big hurdle we faced as a married couple. We've walked through job loss and unemployment, sickness, difficult work situations, death and loss in our short 4 years of marriage. And I'm finally starting to understand the idea that love is in fact a choice. I choose how I respond to my spouse when things get hard. As I was thinking about this lesson God is teaching me, I made a list of 10 ways to choose love when marriage is hard. You can read … [Read more...]
Loving Your Spouse Well In Difficult Seasons
I've been pretty open about the difficult season we've been in as a family. Some days I feel like our entire marriage has been a difficult season - not just because the blending of two lives is messy but also because of all the external factors we've encountered in our short (almost) 4 years together. Job loss, illness, depression, death - these things can easily cloud the last few years of our lives and make it seem as though there weren't any good seasons. I'm learning that there is an ebb and flow to marriage, as there is in life. Just like the tide comes in and goes out regularly, we … [Read more...]