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Loyally Luke by Pepper Basham {Book Review}

Please note that NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation, and the following review is completely honest and entirely my opinion. Loyally Luke is the third novel in Pepper Basham’s Edgewood family series. After binging many of Pepper’s books and anxiously awaiting this book,…

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Raising Mama’s Boys to Be Men of God

My fourth son is a sniffer. (He’s also a licker, but that’s irrelevant right now.) He likes to go around smelling things, sniffing them out like a puppy. He especially loves sniffing me. When we’re snuggled up close, since he craves tight hugs often, he’ll sniff my neck, face, and arms. His eyes are closed,…

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Between You and Us by Kendra Broekhuis {Book Review}

Please note that NetGalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation, and the following review is completely honest and entirely my opinion. Could I first just say what everyone is thinking: What a gorgeous cover! I mean, it’s stunning! Big kudos to the designer. Secondly,…

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Just Do It, as Unto the LORD

(Note: This post was originally a guest post in 2015, which can still be seen here.) There are so many days that homeschooling is just another chore to do. For the kids…And for Mama. “Get it done, guys!” “Keep it moving!” “Don’t get distracted!” “Mama has two ears and four voices are talking. One at a time, please.”…

Fostering Parent-Child Relationships
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Fostering Parent-Child Relationships

(Note: This post was originally a guest post, which can still be seen here.) “Mama, this is great. Just you and me. Nobody else. I like it.” My newly turned six-year-old looked at me over his ketchup-covered plate. He was wearing his Steak-n-Shake hat and a tiny, cute mustache sticker, and sporting a bit of…

Glorifying God in the Darkness of Depression
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Glorifying God in the Darkness of Depression

The darkness of severe depression seems opposed to life in a God who is Light. Can God be glorified in and through the darkness of mental illness? Stigma Depression pulls us into ourselves. We lose our capacity to enjoy life, and meaningfully interact with others. Sadness gives way to apathy. Hopelessness seeps in, and can devolve into despair. How…

CrossFlix Streaming Movie Service {Product Review}

CrossFlix Streaming Movie Service {Product Review}

I have tried many (all??) of the streaming subscription services over the years. I’ve tried PureFlix, Dove, Feeln, JellyTelly, and of course Amazon and Netflix. I was really excited with the opportunity to try and review CrossFlix. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with the service. Most of the movies were ones I’d seen on…

Hebrew Class
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Israel Biblical Studies {Product Review}

I’m Jerry, and I love the Bible. I’ve always had the desire to learn Biblical Hebrew, but never exercised the discipline necessary to do so. I visited various websites that provided tutorials for learning the letters and a few basic words. I watched several YouTube lessons and even purchased Pimsleur Hebrew Learning CDs. Eventually, in…

Why I'm Free to Wear Shorts in the Light
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Why I’m Free to Wear Shorts in the Light

I put on shorts already this year. It’s back to being cold, because that’s what New England life looks like, but that’s not noteworthy. That happens almost every year; a few warmer days, a few colder days. God must get a kick out of the prayers of sun those in Massachusetts pray for. But the…

Praying Scripture: A Light unto My Path
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Praying Scripture: A Light unto My Path

There is no question that life is full of mountain top highs and deep valley lows. It’s easy to trust God from the heights, but what about those valleys? Where do we turn to for hope when we find ourselves shrouded in the darkness of difficulty? I believe there is only one source of true…

Why I Need to Trust God When I Suffer
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Why I Need to Trust God When I Suffer

As a small child, I was terrified of storms because I thought each one carried a tornado in it. When the storm warnings would come on the T.V., the atmosphere around me was one of fear and anxiousness, so by default, I picked up that energy. I would suffer through intense fear because no one reassured me…

3 Ways to Shine a Light into the Darkness
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3 Ways to Shine a Light into the Darkness

The fear comes at night when the lights turn out. I can feel the darkness as a tangible sadness. It feels real, the darkness of depression. Sometimes it feels like a weight on my chest. Other times it feels like a heavy fog, clouding my thoughts. Most of the time I can’t breathe. Under the covers,…

Codependency and Christ: A Reflection on a Reflection 
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Codependency and Christ: A Reflection on a Reflection 

In the cold, gray quiet of a January morning in 2015, I was sitting on my couch … weeping. I held a paperback book in one hand and wadded up corner of a blanket in my other that I was using to muffle my sobs so I didn’t wake anyone. It was a messy cry…

A Life Well Lived – Honoring Mandy Kelly
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A Life Well Lived – Honoring Mandy Kelly

Romans 8:18–For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. On Tuesday, March 21, I logged onto Facebook to find a message from my friend, Becky. She wondered if I knew what was going on with a mutual friend….

For years I've looked for practical things to show unexpectedly pregnant women our support. Here's an example of God's love!
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Embrace Grace Love in a Box {Product Review}

As I mentioned in my review of Melissa Ohden’s book, I have been a prolife advocate for ages. I haven’t always known how to go about it, but my intentions have always been good. The women’s march closely followed by the march for life kind of did something to my heart. Shouldn’t all women be…