Hollow words fill the room. It is normal. It is accepted. So, as robots, people exchange back and forth this nugatory vocabulary. Perhaps, it is because many feel like the words they speak…empty, depleted of what is needed to carry sustenance. Yet, just like your words carry weight, so do you. Your influence is sending shock waves to those around you, whether you are on board for this responsibility or not. What if we stopped the trajectory we are heading on, and started placing value on ourselves and those around us? Realizing that, perhaps…the words we speak can and do make a difference.

My son has always been a natural born leader… Some call these attributes strong-willed. :) It depends on what paintbrush you grab, or what lens you view it through. His candle is bright, and his presence is unhidden. Each day he is being molded and shaped; crafted with God’s hands through time and experience, knowledge and love. As I look at my sweet boy, I am motivated to grow, to learn truth, to live out truth, to abandon excess baggage in myself so I can guide him with a clear mind and heart. His eyes are watching, and emulating everything to the umpteenth degree, because whatever he does, he does big and loud… Because his roar is meant to be heard.

Do we even fully grasp the significance of a God who is willing to meet us where we are and love us? We are so frail, so broken; from the least to the greatest, we are as dust. The sad reality of our humanity is that even those who loved God with as much as they could, struggled with remembering their humble place. Provision, love, faithfulness, mercy… God has never lacked in any one. His very essence is love, and His character has no flaws. Why do we seek for lesser things? Why do we allow ourselves to wander when God is all we need as our daily bread, and our fullness of life?

Each day we have moments where we desperately need God’s forgiveness and grace. Wake up calls to our imperfections and depravity. Perhaps like me, you remember a season that you realized the depth of this chasm. God’s grace and mercy was not just the cherry on top, but the necessary glue to keep you together. We sometimes get so comfortable that I think we forget the love we had at first for the God who gave us hope. That elated feeling of peace and joy, when we tossed all our garbage aside and said, “I trust You.”

Do you know you’re beautiful, Ms. Isabella? We, as women, sometimes question our worth, our beauty… We seek admiration by the way we dress, the way we talk, the choices we make. We want so bad to feel loved. Our heart cries for this attention, and when we don’t receive it, we criticize ourselves as though we didn’t reach the standard that we needed to achieve. We question if we are of value. Well, sweet child, I pray this is not a vice for you. I pray you know you don’t measure your worth with these shifting scales. You are beautiful… Because you are YOU.

There are people in our lives that grace the doors of our heart, and leave unforgettable impressions. I can proudly say I carry the namesake of mine. My grandma, Svanhild Kristoffersen, was strong and reserved, living a life of love for Jesus with her actions. She was intentional about the words she spoke and grace and generosity […]

Money has a way of blurring lines, it immobilizes us to dwell on our innate desire for security and comfort, rather than assessing the overarching situation. This election is capitalizing on those fears, forcing people to question what is best for our divided country. The hope is that somebody will relieve the financial burden that is pitted on them and their children’s shoulders. This mirage has steered many away from the looming moral issues, and has formed a distraction, rather than get us any closer to a resolution.

This year I started homeschooling. Pause for a cyber five to all my homeschooling peeps. :) It’s been fun… and challenging… and rewarding! I remember in the beginning doubting even the ability to homeschool. Now, after almost a full year of kindergarten… still having days where I can doubt my ability to homeschool. Let’s be honest with ourselves, even in parenting we can find ourselves here, questioning if we have the strength and capabilities to do a good job. There always will be people who seem more put together than us and those who seem less. Yet, I am grateful for the opportunity to spend the extra time with my daughter and have the privilege to watch her learn and grow throughout the day.

Sin corrupts our heart and draws our praise and focus away from a loving God. The people of Nineveh struggled with this depravity. Their harsh forms of dominance and control permeated who they were. Sin consumed them, and overflowed for all to see, blinding their eyes to truth. They worshipped false gods and goddess’ in order to fill their desire for worship, but this idolatrous lifestyle only drew them further away from the one true God.

As parents, we are bombarded with information on how to be a good parent. It’s overwhelming. Society tells us. Our kids tell us. Other people tell us. It is easy to feel like a failure, even when you give everything you have. We need to quiet out the excess noise, and pare down the hundreds of do’s and do not’s to what really matters. Setting priorities is essential to avoid the extra unnecessary stressors that distract us from what needs to be our focus. Take the reigns on what’s important in parenting and focus less on the frills that won’t make or break your child.