My daughter came home from school yesterday with an interesting story. Apparently her teacher had a gun. I’m not sure why she felt the need to share it with the class exactly, but nevertheless, she did. A few years ago, her teenaged son was a key witness in what sounded like a gang-related crime. As a result of his testimony there were death threats. The family lived in fear for two years. Mom slept with a gun by her side and dad had a baseball bat. After she finished her story, I looked over at my daughter and said, “Well, honey, a mama bear will go to great lengths to protect her cubs.” Mama bears…

I wanted to talk about virtue with you today. And so I’ve decided to share an excerpt from chapter 14 of my book, Messy Beautiful Love. It’s a little story, but it’s one of those lessons that always comes back to me when I want something but don’t feel like doing the grunt work it takes to get there. Marriage takes grunt work. That’s not all that poetic, is it? But neither is putting your pride aside or your distractions for the good of your family. Sometimes we feel the pain that comes with growing–the sting that comes with self-sacrifice–but we’re maturing nonetheless and that’s a good thing. virtue | noun conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles;uprightness; rectitude. www.dictionary.com ____________________________________________ She riseth…

Looking for the husband’s version of this prayer? Click here. I’m about to tell you a little secret about myself. And after I do, I hope we’ll still be good friends. Here it is. I’m not so good at putting laundry away. Clothes have feelings too and sometimes they just want to hang out with the rest of the family for a while before going back into the drawer. Know what I mean? One day my daughter put a basket of clothes at the top of the stairs just outside of my bedroom door. Several days passed before I stopped and said, “Oh, that’s where that purple sweater is!” It’s…

 Looking for the husband’s version of this prayer? click here I’ve recently discovered that my husband reads my blog every day. I knew he was peeking in from time to time, but reading it every day? Well, that’s pretty cool. It blesses me beyond measure to know that he’s peeking in and cares about a ministry I’m passionate about. So last weekend, I asked him why he doesn’t comment. “Well,” he said, “I thought it might seem a little self serving.” He’s humble that way, and I love that about him. But I was quick to remind him of Proverbs 31 which says, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her…

Click here for the husband’s version of the prayer The fresh scent of warm fudge washed over Main street while the clip-clop of a horse drawn carriage lent a steady rhythm to the hustle and bustle under the afternoon sun. It was just like any other Saturday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina, except this particular day, I was there. It was my first time riding a trolly. The first time I tried gelato. And the first time I heard the words “truffle fries.” I think it’s also safe to say that it’s the first time I enjoyed a little summer heat in late October. As beautiful as it all was, and as much as I love cappuccino…

Thank you to Davonne Parks for providing us with today’s prayer!  I’ve been busy at the Allume conference and coming down with a cold, but God provided our words. Thank you again, Davonne.  This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure.