the dangerous definition of love

Everyone wants to be loved. And most people want to love others in return. But do we truly know what love is? Today, my friend Katherine Henson is here sharing a guest post about love. Below, she so eloquently delves into the deep divide between God’s love and culture’s misshapen version of it. I’ve been married for […]

eliza's adoption story: part 4

I thought I’d get to this part in Eliza’s adoption story much earlier. (If you’ve missed it: part one, part two, part three.) But the stories we live aren’t often quick and concise — they’re made up of moments that take us up hills and down valleys we could have never imagined. Now, though, I want to […]

eliza's adoption story: part 3

This is the third part of our adoption journey to Eliza, our precious daughter. You can read part one here and part two here. I would say that as soon as we put our yes on the table and joyfully learned a sweet two-week-old baby girl would soon be our daughter, things started falling into place. […]

our adoption: part 2

I want to continue to tell Eliza’s adoption story because each dotted i and crossed t points back to a loving God that so intricately wove our stories together. Every time I look at her face, I am reminded of God’s faithfulness. Of his goodness. Of his grace. (Read part one of her adoption story […]

our adoption: part 1

December ended up being a pretty wild, amazing, unexpected ride. The week before Christmas, our beautiful daughter Eliza Marie was placed into our arms via adoption and our lives have been forever beautifully changed. But before we get into that, here’s a bit of the back story that led us to our perfect girl: We took […]

waiting is for the weak

When we were in the process of adopting Joseph, we finally got word that his in-country court date was set for July. I stared at the calendar and time eked by. I rearranged books in the nursery and resorted tot-sized toys. I made up my mind. My mama heart couldn’t wait any longer. I hammered […]

real life justice

Justice isn’t a warrior. It’s not a King riding in on a white horse fighting the bad guys and saving the day. My kids love knights and dragons. I’m not sure how that happened or when it exactly occurred, but they are totally into it. For Halloween, my five-year-old insisted on being a knight, and […]

all of God's children

That sweet boy up there? That’s my beautiful son who hasn’t yet experienced the dirt and pain of this world. Sometimes, I can’t write. The crushing burdens of this broken world feel like they’re physically pushing down my words. #icantbreathe Because no paragraph can speak into the pain. Where do I begin? I’m just me. […]

the conversations we need to have

In light of all that’s trending online right now about a certain person coming from a conservative, extremely large family, my heart has been heavy. I have no interest writing about pseudo-celebrities or drudging up drama. And I certainly don’t want to use the pain and suffering we see in the news as click-bait for […]

for the mothers

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” As we celebrate Mother’s Day, I think about the wisdom nestled into this African proverb. I look at this photo of women living across the globe who fight cultural oppression and opposition to farm coffee beans to provide for […]