Ever started something before you had any idea where it was going or how you were going to finish? Unfortunately, I do it all the time. In fact, I like to joke that I would never start most projects if I knew how hard the project would actually be and how long it would realistically take. But since I just keep leaping before I look, I’ve got to say, we’ve conquered a lot of projects that way. But this week, Matt and I tackled a project in one of the strangest ways possible, and as soon as I took a …

Text from Noah: I think I’m running a fever and my stomach hurts. Can you come get me? And that’s how it all started. The school nurse confirmed a stomach bug was going around and that it was a nasty one. I had the reaction all mom’s everywhere get when they hear that news, “Button down the hatches, and get the sanitizer.” Sure enough, Noah threw up within 30 minutes of coming home from school and continued for the next three days. Now, usually, I’m pretty relaxed about viruses. They’re gross and awful, but not the end of the world. …

The other day, I was talking to my parents about the difficulty of Mary’s journey to Bethlehem and my compassion for her riding a donkey while nine months pregnant. Ouch! She must have expected a little easier journey considering whose child she was carrying. Anyway, in the course of all that, I happened to mention the wise men, and my amazing Bible-scholar dad said, “Well, you have to remember that there were no wise men at Jesus birth. That’s not historically accurate. According to scholars, Jesus was probably around two years old when the wise men arrived.” I know! Seriously? …

It never occurred to me that I was inviting death into our home as I stood in the pet store, waiting for the employee to retrieve the chosen one. Luke had dreamed of this moment for months. It was all he wanted for his birthday. He read the mommy-required reading on guinea pig care and practiced responsibility with our dog. The tiny little orange runt of a guinea pig sat cradled in his arms as if it belonged there, while I filled out the pages and pages of contracts and forms–for a guinea pig. For the next fifteen months, Luke’s …

Do you remember that incredibly iconic scene in the movie Indiana Jones where he steps off a cliff into nothingness? I’ve often pictured that scene when I’m encountering a moment where I can’t see ahead of me and I have to take a step anyway. It’s equal parts terrifying and encouraging. How do you trust in that moment? How do you find the faith to leap? I’ve had a couple of instances lately where I’ve desperately wanted a word of encouragement. I was facing a cliff and all I wanted was a word saying… “leap”. Or, “it’s going to be …