{If you prefer to listen rather than read, check out the audio version of this post here on my Abundant Life podcast.} When I stepped in the door my jaw dropped. The buffed hardwood floors, the wrap-around staircase perfect for prom and wedding photos, the windows upon windows. As I walked through and saw the open floor plan, the granite counter ... [Keep Reading...]
wonder
10 inspiring books I read in 2018
Books have always been companions to me. When I was a little girl, I used to find a corner near the lamp in our living room on the red shag carpet and read for hours. My mom knew where to find me. I discovered myself in the pages of books. Books took me on grand adventures to imaginary places I couldn’t go in real life. As I went off to college ... [Keep Reading...]
One word for 2019: The big reveal!
This past Thanksgiving my family and I took an epic trip to Hawaii. We started planning the trip last December with the goals of spending time together, celebrating my late husband Ericlee’s life, and introducing the kids to Hawaii where our grandparents first met. Eighteen of us cleared our schedules and boarded planes to travel to the Big ... [Keep Reading...]
For those longing for a little Good News
Our friends Jenny and Peter recently posted a collection of the sweetest photos announcing their pregnancy. Baby onesies and ultrasound pictures were pinned to a clothesline they held between them. What joy to see their smiling faces and to wish them congratulations on this good news! We make a big deal about baby announcements in our culture. It ... [Keep Reading...]
Book review: Wonderstruck
The cool January breeze swirled as we strolled down to Elephant Seal Beach. The Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery extends for 6 miles along the Central Coast of California. A crowd was already gathered along the wooden fence facing the ocean. This time it was not the crashing waves or the angled afternoon light in sherbet colors that ... [Keep Reading...]
Finding real rest after a tragedy
The other morning, I went for a trail run at one of my favorite spots in Central California. I was mesmerized anew by the waves of golden grasses undulating over the hills, the cerulean blue of the sky, and the branches of the trees stretching in a dance toward Heaven. Water lapped at the shore below. My trail shoes connected with the earth, ... [Keep Reading...]
