writing
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issues.
Hi there, You probably noticed I had a security breach with a bunch of spam posts. Just wanted to mention that I’m working on that. It’s an annoying process to clear it out and I hope we can fix everything and make the security better on the blog. A friend is helping me with that. I have learned that the spam content could have been much worse and I’m thankful that didn’t happen. I also learned my email subscriber plug-in no longer works so I’m trying to figure that out. I’m one of the least tech-savvy people I know, so this is going to be a process! In the meantime,…
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new year’s victories.
Happy New Year, friends! Rather than write a blog post about my New Year’s resolutions, I thought I’d start off 2023 by talking about a few things that are going well. This post is serving another purpose too. I read 106 books in 2022, which is actually less than normal for me. I’m fine with it, because I never like to set a reading goal (and I read two monster books last year: The Iliad and The Odyssey). However, this year I’m challenged to do something a little different: I want to be more reflective with what I read. I want to slow down and take time to process my…
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atomic habits and some true confessions.
A friend recently bought me a copy of the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, because she knew I wanted to read it. So I’ve spent the past month noticing and taking stock of my habits. Because I can be a tad negative, I first made a list of some of my good habits: Reading (both alone and to my kids) Tidying up the house Cooking dinner most nights Folding laundry Being friendly Reading my Bible each morning. Additionally, I have two major habit victories from the past few months: getting in shape, and eating healthier. I still can hardly believe I’ve stuck with those large shifts because…
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some reflections on the enneagram.
Today let’s talk about the Enneagram. Why? Because it’s fun! And because, let’s be honest: you need a break from photos of the Gentino family hiking. And also it gives us an excuse to remember those glorious, restorative Rocky Mountains from two weeks ago. Now, before you roll your eyes and skim past this post because writing about the Enneagram on a blog is just too trendy and cliche for you, please hear me out. I used to feel the same way. I’ve never been a big fan of personality tests. I’ve been asked to take the Myers-Briggs test several times as an adult, and I know I’m…
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housekeeping.
Happy Tuesday, my friends! If you’ve been trying to view the blog today, thanks for bearing with me while I work on it. Every couple years I like to give it a facelift, it sort of revives me. What I really wanted to do this time around was make the images larger. I’m terrible with anything technological or internet-related, and so my progress comes slowly. After using my first DSLR camera for 10 years, I got a nice new one for my birthday in January. It’s been a fun challenge this year, and I have a lot more learning to do. There’s something very rewarding about working hard to take…
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lessons from anne.
Hello there, friends! Forgive me for being MIA. Quite honestly, I haven’t had the energy for blogging. But I miss you all! I plan to give you a nice Spring Bookshelf post soon, but for now I thought I’d write about what I’m currently finishing up: the Anne of Green Gables series. I was poking around for comfort books to read, and right around that time my Mom and I watched the movie Anne of Green Gables with Judah and Amelie for their first time. They adored it! Amelie said, “Oh Mom, I just love Anne. She has the best imagination, doesn’t she!?” And Amelie has had a “window friend”…
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on creativity (or the lack thereof) and the bullet journal.
Happy weekend, dear readers! I’ve promised you a blog post about the bullet journal, but first, a confession: I’m having a very hard time writing on the blog these days. Oh, it’s not that I don’t enjoy writing, or that I don’t have any ideas. I do! I have two full page spreads in my bullet journal of ideas. It’s just that when it comes time to actually sit down and write, I stare at the screen and my head feels like mush. I do have the time — I can make the time. But where oh where is my creativity? I look longingly at my DSLR camera and think…
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in memory.
My mom’s mother passed away last Monday after a 10 year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Our family gathered in Florida this weekend to celebrate her life. I had the joy of gathering memories from the grandchildren, which my cousin Lindsey read at the service, and I thought I’d share it below in case you want to get a glimpse into the kind of person my grandma was. Our Grandma was a lover of children. First she had six of her own and in the blink of an eye it seemed, she had 17 grandkids too. Her life was filled up to the brim and overflowing with children. Our…
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the challenge in hindsight.
I’m sorry things have been quiet on the blog lately. I loved the October writing challenge, but I’ve also very glad for a break from writing every day. Now I feel rested and have some ideas for the next few weeks. In the meantime, I thought I’d share a some thoughts on my experience with 31 Days of Purposeful Simplicity. 1. I’ll never forget my writing process for the series, because in September I experienced a terrible bout of insomnia. I’ve struggled with sleep at different times of my life, but this was unlike anything I’d known. Ambien did nothing for me. I’d pop awake at 1 or 2 in…
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day 31: resources for purposeful simplicity.
Well friends, we made it. Thank you very, very much for journeying along with me this month, through peeling back layers of noise to find a quiet heart, through applying Purposeful Simplicity to different areas of life. It’s truly been a pleasure. I leave you with just a few of the resources that have helped me move me toward a life of Purposeful Simplicity. I highly recommend all of them. Happy end-of-October! Crazy Busy, Kevin DeYoung The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, Tim Keller Sensing Jesus, Zack Eswine The Nesting Place, MyQuillyn Smith One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp Simplicity Parenting, Kim John Payne A Praying Life, Paul Miller The Mitford Series, Jan…
