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The Most Helpful Question to Ask a Suffering Friend
“What can I do to help?” When I suddenly started having panic attacks along with anxiety and depression a few years ago, a very close friend of mine asked me this simple question. I won’t soon forget that moment because her asking me this question turned around my outlook on friendship within the church and how to help someone suffering through anxiety and depression (or anything else). I like this question because of all the noble and loving things it implies. It also reminds me of Jesus’ compassion for us. A Noble and Loving Question What makes this question such a noble and loving question? First, it implies that my…
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The Auditionee: God’s Providence and The Secret Garden
The night came. I pinned back my modern, flatiron straightened bangs, pulled on a long, black skirt, and donned the most modest floral shirt I owned. I hoped the ensemble would make me look like a fashionable woman of the early-1900s. I belted out show tunes as I swept the kitchen floors after dinner and sang scales in my car on the way into town. I felt as ready for my first theater audition in fifteen years as a thirty-something-year-old momma of young children could. *** I’ve dreamt of being in a musical for my entire life. Growing up, my mom and I spent hours watching The King and I,…
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Experimenting with Eggs [Pepperjack and Egg Skillet Cobbler]
The recipe for Simple Berry Skillet Cobbler from The Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook inspired me to create this egg dish. I really like the crunchy and buttery crust used to form the base of a sweet cobbler. I wondered if I could take the same crust and use it as the base of an egg dish. (We often find ourselves with an overabundance of eggs, so I like to experiment with them in the kitchen by trying new recipes and sometimes creating my own!) The only cheese that Samuel will eat willingly (besides the cheese in boxed shells and cheese) is pepperjack cheese. I paired the pepperjack cheese with chili…
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Progress on Our New House
Our new house build is coming along! Our builder estimates that our home will be finished and move-in ready sometime in November. (We hit a small snag with the windows–we are in the middle of a pandemic, after all! Our original move-in date was mid-October.) We like to visit the house occasionally and take photos. I present to you photos from two phases of the building process! Before Framing After Framing
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Onward Down the River: A Kayaking Story
I shielded my eyes as the sun glanced down on the clear blue lake water ahead of me. I spied the narrow opening in the reeds—the perfect size for me and my kayak. I plunged my paddle into the water and made my way toward the small break in the reed line. Bright green lily pads covered the surface of the water as I entered the river mouth. A few white lily flowers adorned the lily pads like lovely brides among the guests at a wedding. They swayed in the slight breeze moving across the lake. Underneath the water, entire weedy forests bent in the gentle current of the river…