Every year around this time, the lightning bugs start their dance in the darkness. It's another mark that summer is beginning in earnest, and out in my new rural surroundings, their light shines even more brightly without the competition of city lights. With every intermittent glow, there is a memory that pulses through my mind and heart that never fails to serve as a reminder of something important. When I was about six, and my little brother Keith was three, we lived in a two-bedroom house and shared one of those bedrooms. It looked as you might imagine; two twin beds placed on either side of the room, and in our case, the piece of furniture in the middle was a little girls' vanity...

Have you heard it? The new Amy Grant song? If not, give it a listen. Don't worry, I'll wait right here until you're finished.This song has been weaving its way through me as each beat of the melody matches time with my heart. It speaks volumes to me because I really understand it now, as opposed to if I'd heard earlier in my life. I've been that mother whose tears have watered the carpet "in the dead of night." I can grasp the desperation of the soldier's pleas and have expressed the hidden language where there are no words or coherency of thought.There are those moments in life where a pain so deep becomes something almost exquisite, where a cry from the depths becomes the truest form of...

There's a lot of talk about babies going on in my world, what with our little "Lilli" due to arrive in just over a month. On the baby shower day when this picture was taken, the room was filled with women of all ages, family and friends, sharing their tips, labor strategies and birth stories as only women can do.We've spent these past months talking about the development of our tiny girl, how much she weighs one week, how developed her lungs are the next. We've talked about when she can hear what's happening outside the womb and marveled at her first in utero dance steps. But, as thrilling as it's been to see each step of God's plan for that baby unfold, it's been beyond all I could...

Many of you are already blessed readers of Elaine Olsen's blog, Peace for the Journey. Through her blog, and this one, along with a lot of email and prayer lifted on each others' behalf, we've become dear friends.Elaine has an amazing gift with words. The way she handles scripture, viewing it from all sides through the lens of her own experience is often nothing short of breathtaking. So, it was with great joy that I learned today of her first book release and the realization of her life-long dream! This beautiful book trailer will give you a glimpse into what awaits in its pages.Please do yourself, and someone you love, a favor and get a copy (or visit this post to enter a giveaway)...