Dear Child of Mine, Your Dad and I love each other very much. For realz. We’re currently in the “Act I” stage of our marriage, as the TV show Parenthood would say – the time in our married life before kids (Act II) and long before retirement/empty nesting (Act III). And as much as I want […]
Pushing 30
…or at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past many months. I turned 28 on November 19th and this past year is the first time I’ve ever “felt” my age. There are days I look at the veins on the backs of my legs and think, “How did this happen?” Whenever I […]
Advent: A Reminder to Wake Up
Dear Child of Mine, After years of following Jesus, I am just now beginning to embrace the seasons of the Christian year, experiencing the life changing lessons contained in the liturgy and the communion of saints. Advent is such beautiful, yet challenging time in life of the Church. It is at this time of year that […]
{recipe} Five Layer Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Oh dear, sweet child of mine, If you are anything like your mother a GIANT Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake will be just perfect for your birthday celebration. I have a sweet tooth to be sure, and one of my favorite indulgences is a homemade chocolate chip cookie. (I’ve gotten kind of picky though to be […]
My promise to you, squirt.
Hey squirt. Your mom thought it would be a good idea to write down our thoughts and prayers for you in a blog, so I’m ready to do my part. You may be wondering why I called you squirt. First off, I always called your uncle Brian squirt when he was a kid. I never […]
A New Blog Audience
Dear child for whom I pray, Do you know the depths of my heart’s longing to be your mother? I have dreamed of you since I myself was a young girl, playing “house” with my dolls, pretending they were my very own baby. A girl of just 2 or 3 years old, I often clung […]
Teens. Roses with a Few Thorns.
Youth ministry is often challenging. Many times frustrating. Frequently disheartening. But deeply rewarding. Seeing a student’s heart open up like a timid flower is so beautiful. Knowing that it is only through Jesus that I love, accept, admonish, affirm, and even discipline. Teens sense that. They start trusting little by little. They start to enjoy […]
[Free Methodist] Bible Quiz Finals 2013
It was fantastic fun, the loudest laughter, the best group of students & leaders for 5 days at Roberts Wesleyan College. BIBLE QUIZZING FINALS 2013! I had been sincerely excited about this particular Nationals for a few reasons. 1) I had actually studied and nailed the 45 quote verses.2) Kevin, Brian, Tara, and I were going […]
Piano Recital [Year 2]
Though I started teaching piano in September 2009, June 2012 was my very first piano recital as a teacher. I hosted a second recital at Christmastime at a local assisted living establishment. This year, I was excited to have 16 students performing in the recital (doubling my 8 from last year.) They all did a […]
To Beat or Not to Beat [The Strawberry]
Saturday, June 8th marked my second Strawberry Festival 5k Race in Albion, New York. Last year, there were 150 runners in the 5k division. This year there were 207.Last year, there were 30 Run for God participants. This year there were at least 60 or 70.Last year, my husband was waiting at the 1 mile mark […]