Marriage Takes Work
My husband and I had the privilege of celebrating our 24th anniversary this weekend. If I were to sum up our journey in a few words, I would say: marriage takes work. Perhaps that didn’t paint a flowery picture for you, but allow me to explain. When we were newlyweds, we thought we could wake up each morning and all would be well in our world: “He will read my mind and treat me like a queen.” “She will agree to everything I say and treat me like a king.” In other words, it would be effortless and require zero
Pakoda Time
Are you looking for a quick and easy homemade snack that will impress your guests, help you meet your daily vegetable goal (kinda 😉), satisfy your spicy/savory craving and goes great with a hot cup of Chaiya. How about a pakoda? Today we have a guest post/video by one of my closest friends, Shyni Ann Simon . She will be teaching us how to make pakodas. But before we begin, if you’re wondering what making pakodas has to do with our ministry page…please allow me to explain. This is a part of our #Titus25initiative. In Titus 2:5, Paul encourages older
Break it Down
I was 16 years old when I had the opportunity to shadow a highly intelligent young physician. He had a big smile and was kind. Watching from the corner of the exam room, I saw how well he interacted with the young child on the table. The mother of the patient sat across the room, listening intently to the doctor's instructions. Using basic and simple language, he explained the condition to the child and discussed ways the little boy could feel better at home. Tying up the visit, the young doctor shared a joke and got a laugh out of
Learning Along the Way
In less than one month, I will officially be another year older. At this point in my life, I wish I could say … “I’ve got it all figured out”. But the fact is … I don’t. The old saying “You learn something new every day” still applies to this getting-older girl. To get a little more specific, it’s more like I am learning a new approach to something I’ve known, but couldn’t get it to stick. There are certainly things I wish I had done differently … big and small decisions. If you’ve felt that way too, here’s something
God Being Real
One of the prayers that I pray over my kids is that God would reveal himself to them in a very real way. It's the only way to seal all of the 'Christian' things we do- going to church, serving, reading the Bible, family prayer. If we do all of those things, but they never have a personal experience with God, it's pointless. My son recently celebrated a birthday. He's at the age where he has outgrown most gifts and just wants cold, hard cash. Or gift cards. When the dust cleared from his birthday celebrations, he had some clothes
Parenting: From My Heart to Yours
With a new school year upon us, I wish I had a few minutes to sit across from this next generation of moms and just be real…a few minutes of not worrying about being politically correct or getting canceled…a few minutes to share what has truly been on my heart. I’d first make it crystal clear that I am NOT a perfect parent. There are far too many moments I wish I could rewind and redo. Thankfully, my children are forgiving and my God is gracious. With that said, Here’s what I’d say. #1 Go to church. Please! If there’s
Raising Godly Children
"Mama, is this the best coffee you've ever had?" I was sipping the cup she brewed using our machine. It was complete with cream, sugar and all. "It's good!" "But... it's not the best?" she asked. "It's good!" I repeated. She smiled. She could tell I was trying to be nice. I hugged her. It didn't matter that it wasn't the best. It mattered that she cared enough to do this for me. I'm so grateful for my sweet daughter. I learn so much from her. I learn more from her than she from me. This is the thing: I've
A Work in Progress
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to present the Verse of the Day on YouVersion … also known as the Bible app. YouVersion has been a part of my own discipleship journey for years, so partnering with them is such an incredible honor for me and the Whispers & Fringes team. The verse I shared was Ephesians 4:2: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Then, I proceeded to share a story of how I had seen this play out in real life back when I was in college. The incident made such an impression
Can My Story Change?
I was recently listening to a secular therapist talking about some things she had learned after years of therapy with people. She said that all of us have a story that we tell ourselves and others. And that story becomes the narrative by which our life is shaped. The story can be something like…I’m not worthy, I didn’t have the right opportunities to succeed, my family didn’t have enough money, nothing works out for me…and so on and so forth. And in most of these stories people find themselves in a prison of their own making. They have become the
Gracious Hosts & Grateful Guests
Hosting and Hospitality may or may not be your thing! Some folks I know have perfected it down to a science while others of us continue to struggle in this area! 🙋🏽♀️ Whichever side of the spectrum you find yourself on- I believe there is ALWAYS something we can learn from one another! In this episode of Apples of Gold, we brought on two very special guests to discuss the art (aka- superpower) of being an AMAZING HOSTESS!! 💪🏾 Renee Thomas and Jeena Samuel are the “hostess with the mostest!” In this video, Renee and Jeena answer our questions and
