She Runs By Faith

Five-Minute Friday , it's been a loooong time! (Though it's technically Sunday) I'm back for this week and the word is  "Journey" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Life is a journey that is meant to be enjoyed at times and endured at others. It's a process, a time of preparation and sanctification for each life season and for eternity. I feel tempted to speed up this journey at times or to skip steps but I'm trying to slow down and savor each season, each step and each day. Imagine trying to run a marathon after only one week of training. Jumping from the birth of your first child to potty training them the next day. Skipping from preschool to 12th grade Calculus. Life's journey is a very necessary process as each part is preparing for the next. Today I'm thankful for my journey and I ...

Our Five Minute Friday  Word:  "Easy" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Why can't life be easy? This week has been extra challenging and I'm not even sure why. Cranky children, inability to please everyone, mountainous laundry, and little things that just build up 'til I'm ready to throw my hands in the air and call it a day by 10:00 a.m. Coffee, anyone?  Coffee is easy and sometimes I think an extra cup of coffee will help. At least I can caffeinate my frustrations! Being a stay-at-home mom sounded easy before I actually jumped into the trenches of full-time motherhood. I had this vision in my mind that my house would be clean and the days would be relaxed. My presumptions were off by a few miles, but I will say the joy of raising up these boys is worth any of the struggles that arise. It...

Our Five Minute Friday  Word:  "Surprise" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ I had been warned. Before we had our first baby, "Oh, my labors were terrible and lasted xxx hours, honey. Get the epidural right away! ...Good luck." Before our second was born, "It's a hard adjustment. Having "just" one was so easy!" And then warnings for the future, "Whew, just wait 'til you have three! Three is definitely the hardest." Just wait 'til the toddler's potty training regresses, 'til they constantly fight over toys, 'til neither of them nap anymore, 'til they are teenagers. But I wasn't warned about the... The joy of watching our toddler meet his baby brother for the first time. The precious yet slightly awkward moments of trying to hold both to...

Our Five-Minute Friday  Word:  "Share" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Sharing doesn't come natural to me. I often feel I'm not experienced enough to share as a mom, wife, writer, runner, designer... even as a follower of the Lord. This blog was a huge step of faith for me, to share my experiences in the hopes of encouraging others that will be in similar shoes later. It was a step to open up, when I prefer to keep the "real me" door shut. Taking the bold step to share the "real you" — the joys, hurts, weaknesses, quirks and all — requires courage.  I feel tempted to stay comfortable by keeping my struggles to myself. Sharing who I really am opens up the door for criticism, reveals my weaknesses, and makes me vulnerable. When I first shared my testimony and dedicated my life to Chr...

Our Five-Minute Friday  Word:  "Quiet" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Quiet is beautiful and yet so hard to come by. The kids are in bed and I sit here in the quiet, feeling a bit unsure of what to do with myself. Sleep would be my best bet as the 10 o'clock hour nears. The Lord uses quiet to recharge the soul. In this wild and busy world, He is our one true Source of refreshment. He sneaks those precious quiet moments into my day when I least expect it. Snow crunching under my running shoes. Pulling the kids on the sled on a sunny winter day. Making memories unplugged from technology. Curling up on the couch on a January night. My soul is refreshed. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides...

Good morning! Our word for today's  Five-Minute Friday  is  "Present" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Years ago, Gram still lived in her own house. Waving goodbye as I backed out of her driveway and into the alley, tears started to form. I didn't know what I would do when Gram left us. I didn't know a day of life without her. She was like another "Mom" to me and I truly thought I couldn't make it without her. I was sure that when she died I wouldn't be able to make it. Fast forward to the present.  Gram went to be with Jesus on Monday morning. We all knew the day was coming yet to finally hear that she passed hit me. Gram's house that I remember so well only exists in my mind and now she's gone, too. She is enjoying her time in a finally healthy body in heaven and I feel...

Hey there,  Five-Minute Friday  fans! Our word for this Friday is  "Time" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ "You only live once."  That's the motto of my generation, a.k.a. the YOLO's or the Millenials. There is some truth to that statement. Our time is limited. It's something we spend but can't ever buy back. Once it's gone, it's gone. How we spend our time reveals what is truly important to us. It makes up our life. Am I spending it on what really counts? Since we only get one shot at this, is what I'm doing eternally valuable? Is my life well spent? When I head back to my hometown, I stop by the nursing home to visit my Great Grandma. She's 96 years old and as sharp as a whistle. I love seeing her but it is hard to see her at the home and so helpless. The days for h...

I hope your 2016 is off to a wonderful start! We are getting back into the normal routine after all of the Christmas and New Year festivities. The time with family and friends was wonderful but a little part of me is happy to return to a semi-normal routine again. That means we're also back to the regular  Five-Minute Friday  this week and our word is "First" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ There are definitely perks to being the first. That's what I was thinking as I split up a toddler vs. baby "wrestling match" for the millionth time today. I am a firstborn and, whew, I had no idea how good I had it growing up! Our second is such a tough guy. He spends his days navigating life with a whirling, twirling toddler tornado. There is nothing gentle about that older brother. Those firstborns sure ...

This week we get to choose our own free-write word for  Five-Minute Friday . I know. Mind. Blown. My word of choice is: "Together" What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ "They sure have it all together." Isn't that one of the biggest lies of our lives? Pictures on social media, the people we see at the grocery store and even those lovely Christmas cards sometimes send me the message that everyone has "it" all together. Except me. That is one thing I am concerned about when it comes to writing on the blog, posting on social media or even small-talk after church. Am I portraying the lie that I have it all together? The pictures of our kids on Facebook are all smiles. Little did you know, a meltdown may have occurred 5 minutes before. Sometimes even this 5-minute post takes me... 10 minutes! And...

We woke up to beautiful light blanket of snow this morning! E prayed for snow last night (because we have had hardly any this year!) and here it is. He was so excited when he first looked out the window! Today's  Five-Minute Friday  free-write word is "Reflect". What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Writing out the address over and over again can be a monotonous job but it gives me time to reflect on the year. I look at our family and all of the changes God has brought our way. As cards come in the mail, I see how our family and friends are all growing and changing so much. How do kids grow so fast?! Here's a little secret: I'm one of "those" people who leave their Christmas cards up year 'round! Taking time to reflect allows us to see all of God's blessing and provision.  Hindsight re...

Thanksgiving flew by and now we're back to "normal" life. I hope you had a blessed time with family and/or friends. We had a great time with our families and, wow, does the time fly when you're having fun! For today's Five-Minute Friday , our free-write word is "Season". What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Last night toddler was in the bathtub, baby in his walker, and I was sitting on the toddler stool in our bathroom, just staring off into the sink faucet. My mind felt blurry and all I could think was... What a season. Today I found E coloring at the kitchen table. That was fine. Problem was he was pants-less. I made a new impromptu rule in the house: "To sit at the kitchen table you must at least have underwear on." What a season. On our morning walk, we had a major melt down. For ...

Halfway through November and we finally got our snow! Now it officially feels like the holiday season is near. For today's Five-Minute Friday , our free-write word is "Dwell". What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. PSALM 84:1-2 I love these verses. How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! For much of my life I wasn't "dwelling" with the Lord. Until I surrendered my life to the Lord almost 5 years ago, I was just a dweller in the tents of the wicked (v. 10). I can confidently say that even a "bad day" walking with the Lord is better than the best day of living without Him.  Without the Lord, the weight of the w...

Good morning! It's  Five-Minute Friday  and our free-write topic is "Weary". What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Every day the world is yelling, "DO more! BE more! You're NOT enough!". Satan has orchestrated this culture to find its value in busyness. The Enemy wants our schedules packed, our minds swimming and our household in a constant state of hurry. There are (too many) times when I say "yes" to a few too many commitments or when I fall for the lie that I need to do more than "just" raise my boys and take care of my family. My most common mistake is to jump in to a design project or other commitment before I ask the Lord about it. He has given me clear guidance that I am "mom" full-time and designer (or whatever else) after that. (My habit of jumping ahead of the Lor...

Welcome to  Five-Minute Friday 's free-write! Today's topic is "Dance". What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Flash back 3.5 years ago... We spent the day surrounded by friends and family. Dressed in our finest clothes. Slightly damp and chilled from a cool and rainy day in May. After the exchange of our wedding vows and a bunch of wedding pictures, we excitedly made our way to the reception. We visited with family and friends who traveled from near and far to be with us on our special day. We ate meatballs, drank coffee and inhaled that amazingly delicious raspberry-filled white cake. It was time for our first dance . The song was "Crazy Like You" by Josh Grider (not particularly romantic, but true for us!) "I say everybody's crazy so what you gonna to do You need to find somebody craz...

I vote today as the most unique  Five-Minute Friday  topic ever. Our topic today: BACON . It's a bit odd, slightly quirky but who doesn't love bacon?! I enjoy bacon but it did feel strange making a header image of just... bacon. What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ The interrogation begins the second our sweet little toddler wakes up. "We have pancakes for breakfast?"  No, no pancakes today. Mommy is making bacon and eggs. Then come the wants. I want cheese. I want the flashlight. I want eggs. I want milk. I want bacon , mama. Some days he gets the "May I please have _____?" down pretty well but not this morning. Maybe by the time he's 3 it will start to sink in... I don't mind him asking for things. We love our kids and want to give them good things! But, whew, it gets draining when e...

Whew. It's finally Friday. It really is! Let's jump into another  Five-Minute Friday ! What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ I believe in God's providence, there are no "coincidences" or "by chances" in my life. When I ready today's Five-Minute Friday word, "Joy", I laughed out loud. This week I have been struggling in the joy department. I will call it my joy "desert" with joy being the palm-tree encircled oasis that I just can't find. As God's children, knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and having the hope of eternal life gives us joy and that joy is  unshakeable ! What's wrong with me then?! Lately I have felt hopeless, absolutely exhausted and totally defeated. Far from joyful. Joy is NOT the same as happiness. Joy is NOT dependent on our circumstan...

Happy Friday to you and welcome to another free write with  Five-Minute Friday ! Today our word is "Green" . What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ "Green" brings so many different directions into my mind. Green is finances, growth, new life, spring time, go. It's fresh, bright and full of action. Green is hope. It's forward motion. It's the future. Thinking about the future can bring excitement and joyful expectation of the things to come in this life and eternity.  Watching our boys grow up. Celebrating birthdays as a family. Dates on our wedding anniversary. Family camping trips. Making memories together. Spending eternity in heaven with the Lord. Being completely free of all pain, suffering and sin. Thinking about the future can also bring worry, fear, dread and uncertainty. Will we have...

Gooooood morning! Thanks for joining us for another free write with  Five-Minute Friday ! What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ What would life be like if I really trusted God? I can say confidently that I trust the Lord and I know He works out good for His children (Romans 8:28) but it seems that my trust wavers throughout the day and life circumstances. When a worry or frustration arises, I get worked up about it for a while and, eventually, when I'm sick of mulling over it, I surrender it to God. Once it's in God's hands, I feel so much more peace and freedom. How different would my life look if I trusted God every second of the day? If I trusted God every second of the day, My worries would be replaced with peace. Is my husband going to come home today? I hope there haven't been any accidents tonight.  Do y...

If it weren't for Five-Minute Friday  I likely would have forgotten today IS Friday! October means nocturnal harvest hours for my husband and daddy being gone all the time has been hard for our toddler to understand. This is farming and I'm fine with that. Though this week has felt like it's Monday EVERY DAY! Today our free write topic is "family". Stop by the link-up to check out everyone else's writing as well :) What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ No matter how hard I try to keep it up, I feel like our house is always a mess. Maybe one room is clean but then all of the others are messy. If the laundry is caught up, the kitchen must look like the aftermath of a tornado. It's rarely all clean at once! Back in January, my husband was at an out-of-state training for three weeks. With just the toddl...

Good morning! Welcome to this week's  Five-Minute Friday ! What's a "free write"? No editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write! This week's word: 00:00 START the timer! ______________________ Today we're having a party! Won't you join me? Let's kick this party off by praising God for where we've been, where we are and what the future might hold. Our faith journey is something to celebrate! Looking back on where God has taken us reminds us of His awesome sovereignty, the hope we have in Jesus and the power of our prayers. Today let's celebrate by reflecting on answers to prayer as reminders of God's faithfulness. Let us give praise to the Lord for His work in our lives and pray boldly for the future to come. God is capable of so much more than we can imagine! Think of all the miracles that Jesus did in the Bible - that's OUR God! He hasn't changed. He is still...