Abundant     Seasons

If you tend to worry, don’t beat yourself up. God wired us all differently — some of us bring the sunshine, some of us remember the sunscreen. But when we allow faith-filled, positive people to speak into our lives, we see things more clearly. Their joy reminds us of God’s goodness. Their peace reminds us that everything doesn’t depend on us. And maybe, just maybe, we start to sound a little more like them.

When we adopted our daughter, she didn’t earn her place in our family. She didn’t have to prove her worth. She was simply ours. And isn’t that a picture of how God loves us? We don’t earn His acceptance. We don’t strive for His approval. He brings us into His family because of His grace, not our performance.

Friend, if you’re walking through your own season of family challenges — waiting, praying, wondering why things aren’t going as you planned — take heart. God’s timing often looks different than ours, but it is always better. Sometimes the very seed He planted early on is the one He intends to bring to life in His perfect way.

Caring for an aging parent is one of life’s greatest privileges — but let’s be honest, it can also feel like one of life’s greatest challenges. There are sweet moments and then there are hard moments — medical appointments, tough conversations, exhaustion, and sometimes feeling like you’re holding the whole world together with duct tape and coffee.

I’ve officially discovered my place in the food chain: I am the turkey in the sandwich. On one side is my teenage daughter (thick slice of bread — sturdy and strong). On the other side is my mom (the other slice — soft in some places, firm in others, holding decades of wisdom). And then there’s my husband, the sauce — the spice and glue that makes this sandwich flavorful, and sometimes messy, but definitely better. It sounds delicious, right? Except when you’re the turkey,