In the summer months we celebrate several anniversaries.
July 20th, is our Anna’s baptism anniversary. A sweet and simple day that always brings back wonderful chrism smell memories. The reminder that our daughter is sealed in Christ. Read More →
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At weddings, when the bride walks in for her big entrance, some heads turn to focus on the groom, to catch his reaction of seeing his bride.
Every man takes this moment differently and each expression is unique to the man and the relationship, none better than another. The best thing about this moment is, that in a relationship founded on love, the groom’s joy, excitement, and thankfulness stream out of his eyes. Check it out here…
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Your laying in your cozy bed when the alarm suddenly goes off. Whether you realize it or not, this is your first battle of the day. What are your first thoughts? How do you respond? I have to be real, I have snoozed it hard lately. When my alarm goes off, my first thought is how do I turn it off and how much longer can I stay in bed.
If the alarm clock and I were in a battle, I would be losing. To be fair, I don’t actually push snooze, but I do set 5 alarms, and when the first one goes off, I reason to myself that 5 more minutes of sleep won’t hurt anything, and then I continue to rationalize this same thought until I have slept right through the time I set aside for prayer, and a shower, and to eat breakfast and so on.
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Some people are naturally conservative about how they use their time, body, and heart. Others of us are known for carrying in too many groceries at once, volunteering to help with everything, and staying up late to get unnecessary, but awesome, things done.
By now you probably know I am the latter. But, the process of learning my limits is making me holy.
“How do you learn your limits?” you ask. Well let me tell you, it is not a fun process. It often means hitting walls over and over again until you’re willing to make some changes.
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About 7 years ago I became friends with a few ladies from the southwest and I will never forget the day they asked me what my favorite cactus was. In that moment I stared at these three lovely ladies blankly, with truly no answer. They posed the question as if asking, “what’s your favorite color?”
They each proceeded to list different cacti and why they enjoyed them, and I blinked a few times and nodded to assure my new friends I was listening. Read More →
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Each time I read Ephesians, my mind gets hung up on this verse about prayer.
“Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.”-Ephesians 6:18
My prayer life has looked different in every season, and I am now beginning to understand that this is okay. I don’t have endless hours to journal as I once did; I have new wonderful people in my life to share my mornings, and prayer with. I need to be open to some new techniques.
So what does praying at all times mean for me in this stage of my life? Read More →
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I had been a mom for just over a year, and as wonderful and beautiful as the year had been I still felt like I hadn’t found my mom sea legs. I was still catching my bearings and finding balance in this new season of life.
Anna and I were making the 40 minute drive home after a stressful week of work. A 70-hour week that culminated in having to ask a friend to babysit my daughter at work on a Saturday. I was utterly exhausted.
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“The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of it’s scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.” -St. Thérèse de Lisieux
In Texas, God paints the hills with wildflowers during the Spring. A sea of blue, orange, red, yellow, and purple. As I drive alongside the road, the colors mix together, like a big bowl of Neapolitan ice cream, or as my husband calls it triple threat ice cream. It is truly a time to bask in the glory of this creation. Read More →
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Happy Easter! I hope you are having an Easter filled with family, joy, and Jesus. We have been gifted with truly beautiful time around these parts.
Our wiggly two-year old was able to attend Holy Thursday and Easter mass, and I am always amazed by how much of these celebrations she is able to absorb. After Holy Thursday, every time she heard the word Jesus she would bend to touch our feet and say in the perfect toddler voice, “wash.” On Good Friday we talked about how Jesus died because he loves us so much. Drawing on past experiences of death like The Lion King and a great-grandfather passing.
Then came Easter, how was I going to explain the Resurrection to my daughter? I didn’t know if I could totally explain it to myself. We started to use the language “rise from he dead”, but it didn’t seem to ring any bells. Then all of the sudden out of the mouth of babes, Anna said “up”. She found a word in our explanation that made sense.
We would ask her what happened to Jesus and she would gesture with her hand and say joyfully with her mouth “up!” How simple, how perfect, how truly wise.
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In our church home on Palm Sunday we always hear the passion gospel as a dramatic reading. This interactive (and long) gospel helps to begin Holy Week with the reality of Christ crucified. In this script format, the congregation typically plays the part of the crowds.
I have to admit though, I cringe each year as the crowd is asked to shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” I hate being a part of the crowd in that moment, realizing it is my stubborn heart that chooses sin over Christ. It reminds me that each day I choose to play a part in the passion history. Read More →
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I am Amy. One part adventurer, one part working mama and wife, and one part cookies. Here I write about finding truth and joy in the everyday.
Come Holy Spirit…In Remembrance 
An Inconvenient Mercy 
Live Your Song: A Lenten meditation from Jon Foreman’s TED Talk 
A Dance Party… and exciting announcement 
Never too far away… 
It is okay if you are scared to have a baby 
How to be a family like the Weasleys 
Comfort in the ancient: The time the rosary clicked 
