Weeds and Distractions: Tending the Garden of Our Lives Weeds steal nutrients—just like distractions can steal time from what matters most. Seeing the Weeds Lately, I’ve been noticing the weeds. Not just in my garden, but everywhere. Spring is here, and when I look out across the yard, it feels like half of it has…
When Prayer Isn’t Our First Reaction The power of prayer is something I know matters deeply—but if I’m honest, it’s not always my first reaction. When stress hits or something goes wrong, I tend to worry or react before I papausing touse and pray. I know I should turn to God first, but building that…
Making Homemade Fruit Leather (And Clearing Freezer Space Before Beef Day!) One of the constant rhythms of homestead life is learning how to use what you already have. Whether it’s garden produce, pantry staples, or a freezer full of fruit, there’s always something waiting to be turned into something new. Lately my focus has been…
As we get ready to transfer our seeds to the garden—once we’re sure the last freeze has passed—we begin thinking about what the soil truly needs to be healthy and able to nurture our plants. Recently, we’ve been researching different approaches and have come across some interesting ideas, including no-till gardening. The idea behind no-till…
Restoring Order After the Holidays by organizing your home. The holidays can be a wonderful time of year—but they also come with extra chaos and stuff everywhere. The days between Christmas and New Year’s always seem to fly by, yet they’re also when I finally slow down enough to step back from daily routines. Think…
Watching Faith Take Root in tiny seeds. Sometimes the most meaningful growth begins in the smallest, quietest ways— unnoticed, unseen, and rooted in faith. We don’t see the big picture, but like little children can’t always see the big picture of what is happening. We as adults can’t always see the big picture that God…
We have started planting our seeds for this coming year’s garden. It has been such a joy to know what lies ahead and that summer is coming. I’m looking forward to fun days with my kids and watching all the new things come back to life after winter. Summer means something different, we are all…
Why Entryway Organization Matters for Busy Families The entryway is one of the hardest-working spaces in any home. It’s the first place everyone lands when they walk in the door, and often the last stop before heading out again. For our family, it holds backpacks, shoes, coats, papers, sports gear, and everything in between. If…
Learning to Can Meat: From Intimidation to Confidence — and Faith — in My Kitchen Today I’m pressure canning beef for the first time. I’ve canned chicken before — and it was a success! My husband’s only complaint? It was a little bland, like canned chicken from a store. There isn’t much flavor to plain…
Influenza made its way through our house in early January. High fevers. Exhaustion. The constant sound of someone calling, “Mom.” It’s especially difficult when you’re trying to care for everyone else while not feeling well yourself. Time for some reflection. But somewhere in the middle of the tissues, medicine cups, and quiet afternoons, I realized…