“Only Luke is with me.” I read this line a few days ago and it has haunted me ever since. The words are from Paul in his second letter to Timothy. He is in prison and we know now that it is the very last letter he will write before he is martyred. He ends his letter listing off many who have recently abandoned him and he shares that, “only Luke is with him.” I don’t like this Paul. I like the Paul that is a glorious hero of the faith. I like the Paul who wrote around half of the books in the New Testament and is a really big deal with some really great lines like, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Yeah!I like “Conqueror Paul”! He did it, he fought and won, he finished the race, he kept the faith! But here’s the thing about that awesome line from “Conqueror Paul”, it’s taken out of context. It’s written after he says that he’s been poured out like a drink offering and right before he says that only Luke is with him. So, the question I ask myself is this, “do I really like Paul?” If I were reading the last part of that letter and I only knew that it was from a Christian leader,  how would I feel about him? Would I want to go to his church? Would I want to partner with him in ministry? I don’t think I would. Based on the standards that we set for a successful ministry or a successful pastor, Paul sounds like a LOSER. He’s in prison, most of the people in his life have abandoned him and he is about to be killed. He does not sound like the kind of guy who has a blue check mark by his name and a large following on Twitter. And yet, there is Luke. Even though everyone has abandoned Paul, Luke is still there. Even though Paul’s following has only gotten smaller, Luke is still there. Even though Paul is yet again in prison and even though he is about to be killed, Luke is still there. Lord, help me to be like Luke

A few weeks ago I wrote about things that were restoring my heart. I shared some really amazing books, a podcast and a journal. Surprisingly, the post has been my most popular so far. It seems like most of you are in the same boat as me and are also seeking things that are heart restorers. So what’s restoring my heart right now? Wendell Berry! I know y’all are like, “Wendell Berry again?” I’m sorry but I can't help myself! I am just such a huge Wendell Berry fan right now! I’ve already shared Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow, two books from his Port William series which are two of my favorite books I have read lately. But did you know that he also writes poetry? My sister, knowing my love for him, just gave me “The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry” and I am already loving it! Here is one of my favorite poems so far - The Peace of Wild Things When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. Social media can be a tricky thing. There are accounts that make you feel terrible, like you are never enough or that you want more, more, more. There are ones that leave you so heavy and filled with discontentment. But there are also those bright lights that stand out and when you find them they are so welcome! Hearthstone Fables is one of those accounts. Kristin’s blog is just enchanting! Her passion, like mine, is how to help families celebrate the seasons of the church in their homes. She creates the most beautiful write ups as well as the sweetest printables for families to use. Ok, so, I am team Jonanna and Chip Gaines in a major way! They used to stress me out and I avoided them at all costs. I thought they were doing way too much and I feared for their marriage and their family! LOL But seriously, I did! When they decided to walk away from their hit show to have another baby, I was so relieved. It seemed like they had struggled with the whole fame/empire building thing and realized what was most important in life. Two things that I absolutely love that they produce are there magazine and their network. I love their magazine, Magnolia Journal. It is peaceful and thoughtful and it calls us all to higher things. One of my favorite sections is where they take a theme like “strength” and they showcase people from all races, ages and walks of life on their particular story of “strength”. It’s really encouraging and inspiring! I also can’t recommend their channel enough! It might seem like your run of the mill home makeover/cooking show channel but it is not! Each show is visually stunning and has this sense of goodness about it. There’s no gimmicky cliffhanger before the commercial, no high anxiety problem to be fixed. It’s just beautiful, meaningful and peaceful. My husband and I watched Lost Kitchen during the pandemic and I know this is weird to say but we teared up with each episode. There’s just a loveliness and a goodness about these shows that is so unique. The cost is only $4.99 a month which is so worth it for the feeling of restoration that you get after watching it! (this is not an ad in any way!) I hope you love all of these things as much as I have! They have definitely been a source of encouragement and restoration for me. I'd also love to hear what's restoring your heart right now!

I am in a place in my life right now where my cup empties fast. I am really longing for and trying to spend any free time with things that are holy, peaceful and good. I thought I would share the things that I have been reading, watching and listening to lately that are restoring my soul. A Curious Faith by Lore Wilbert. I love that Lore is encouraging curiosity as a spiritual habit. So often we are taught as Christians that it is not ok to ask questions but Lore’s book shows us that the bible is full of people asking, including God himself! The book is divided into three sections: questions God asks us, questions we ask God, and questions we wish someone would ask us. The section on questions we wish someone would ask us kills me; “What are you looking for? Do you Want to Be Well?”, etc. An entire book based on the questions asked in the bible and what it means for our lives is just so brilliant and so moving. Living Freely and Lightly by Emily Lex. I love everything that Emily Lex does. I used to follow her when she was a blogger. Since then she has shifted directions and is an author as well as a watercolor artist. Living Freely and Lightly is a guided journal to help you live freely and lightly in the Lord. She asks you to accept Jesus’s invitation to “recover your life, experience real rest, and learn His unforced rhythms of grace”. I appreciate the questions she asks. They are kind of in your face (LOL) but I need that. For instance, her chapter on control asks, “I am particular about ________ because ________. When it doesn’t go how I want, I _________ and the impact is __________.” Wow, those are good questions! Anything from the Wendell Berry Port William Series. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am reading through the Port William series as we speak. I don’t know how to adequately describe the beauty of Wendell’s books. When someone says “book series”, I get nervous like they’re going to be these melodramatic, cutesy stories about living in a small town. These books are anything but. They are not sequential so you can read them in any order but they all relate and interweave in such a lovely way. These books seem agenda-less, the author is merely telling stories about people and their everyday lives in a small rural town but they are challenging me with this alternate way of living that involves community, goodness and what is really important. I’m reading Jayber Crow right now which explores the idea of calling and wow, what an incredible book! A podcast that I listened to the other day and absolutely loved was Business with Purpose and her interview with Liz Bell Young. I recently discovered Liz Bell Young and love following her. She is a contributing writer for Magnolia Journal and has the coolest Instagram account. She edited and created this amazing journal that Anthropologie carried called Haven which celebrates through incredible photographs and prose what it means to find home. I won the magazine in an Instagram giveaway she did and it is just as lovely as I hoped it would be. I found out that she was doing a podcast interview and was so excited to hear more about her. I had no idea that she is a Christian! Her whole interview was so inspiring about the creative process, following the promptings of the Holy Spirit and just going for it. I highly recommend it! I hope you love all of these things as much as I have! They have definitely been a source of encouragement and restoration for me.

Mulberries are in season! We have a sweet family in our neighborhood who have generously shared their mulberries with us along with a fantastic recipe for fruit crisps. And since it’s still Easter season and we’re still feasting(!), we celebrated by making a giant mulberry crisp this morning! We also celebrated by eating it at lunch instead of dinner! Super fun! What fun things are you doing/making to celebrate this Easter season? https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-best-blackberry-crisp/

“What extraordinary energy there must be to transform this little seed into a tree, or into a full ear of grain, or a small handful of flour and water into a swollen lump of dough! Would we know how to do this ourselves? Is there any person who can do such a thing? We can make big things, too, but only by putting many small things together. But the tree is not the sum of many seeds, it is the growth of one seed! Where does such mysterious energy come from?” From my favorite Children’s Church teaching - The Mystery of the Kingdom of God by Sofia Cavaletti

Now that the temperature is below 90 degrees (I live in Florida), it’s time to embrace fall! One of our family’s favorite ways to incorporate fall into our home is with this simple trick - we fill a saucepan with water, orange slices, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks. Simmer on the stove and it fills your home with the best fall scent. So much better than a candle or sprays! Fall Stove Top Scent 1 orange, sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 1 TBL whole cloves Add the sliced orange, cinnamon sticks and cloves to a saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Your house will smell amazing!

I don’t know why, but as soon as school starts I move full on into all things fall. Even though it's still blistering hot outside (I live in Northwest Florida), I’m bringing out blankets that no one is using, I’m firing up the grill and immediately regretting it and I am making hearty hot stews that no one in my family is excited about. Case in point - my beef stew. Don’t get me wrong, everyone in my family agrees that they love the taste of it, it's just the time that I choose to serve it. I know it’s weird but they don’t want to come in from a virtual steam bath outside and be fed a big bowl of hot beef stew. I know all of this, but I can’t help myself. The temps are below 90 degrees and it’s September, people! So here I am, once again, cooking it up! If you are in cooler climes, I really do recommend this beef stew recipe! It is so easy to make. You can make it in a dutch oven, a slow cooker or an instant pot. The beef stew recipe is really flavorful and the meat ends up being super tender because it is sauteed and browned first. Beef Stew Recipe 2 to 3 lbs stew meat 1 cup flour or almond flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 2 TBL olive oil 6 slices of bacon, cut up 1 large onion thinly sliced 2 cups celery, sliced 2 cups carrots, sliced 2 32 oz. cartons beef stock 2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce 2 bay leaves 1 TBL oregano 1 tsp Worcestershire 1 cup red wine (optional) Toss stew meat in flour, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven, slow cooker or instant pot. Saute the stew meat and bacon until golden brown. Remove the meats and set aside. Add onions, celery and carrots to the oil. Saute until onions are soft. Add meat back, beef stock, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, worcestershire and optional red wine. If you are using a dutch oven, bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour or all day. For a slow cooker, choose “low” and cook all day. For an instant pot, choose the “sealing” option and “manual” 40. Allow to naturally release before serving.

September is here! School has started and we are returning to the rhythms of schedules again. I’m always trying to think of ways to make celebrating the seasons of the church year more accessible. One of the things that I wanted to offer this year was an overview of each month with all of the special days that the church will be celebrating. I wanted to give you more time to look forward to the special days and more time to plan. I intentionally made a list of special days instead of a calendar with the dates already on it because I think there’s something special about adding the dates ourselves. Adding the dates ourselves creates a sense of agency and builds a sense of anticipation within your family. Either print up the list and hang it by your calendar or gather as a family and add the dates yourselves. I hope this helps you and your family in the celebration of the seasons of the church within your home!

"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” Jeremiah 31:25 I have a weary and languishing soul, y'all! I know it. I feel it deeply. But, I am so thankful that the Lord sees me in my condition, that He cares and that He promises to satisfy and replenish. Here are things that God is using to satisfy and replenish my soul right now: Working in my garden. Rolling the window down while I am driving. Eating dinner as a family. Reading the bible. Reading anything by Wendell Berry.* *I've always heard people rave about Wendell Berry but this is the first time I have read anything by him. I am reading his fiction right now and it has been excellent. There is such goodness, sweetness and holiness in everything I've read so far. I highly recommend Hannah Coulter; such a beautiful book!

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29 I needed marigolds to keep pests away in my garden. I had no idea that African Marigolds were not like ordinary marigolds! They rise to my shoulders with huge, frilly heads in a riot of oranges and yellows. They were a total shock! Utility and practicality are all fine and good but I think God really wants us to have beauty as well.

Tomorrow summer will end for me. I know that technically we still have over a month left but we all know that regardless of how beautiful it still is outside, once school starts, it’s really over. One of my favorite things that we did this summer was to make our own fig preserves. We have sweet neighbors down the street who share their figs with us and for about two weeks we climb their trees and pick as many figs as we can. Then we bring them all home where we cook them down in lots of sugar and turn them into preserves. Fig preserves are a big deal in my family. I don’t know if it's a southern thing or just my family but we don’t make strawberry or raspberry, we only make pear and fig. My grandmother always made the fig preserves. She never chopped them into bits like you find in the grocery store. They were preserved whole in a thin golden syrup and they were divine! Every summer, my cousin and I would go and stay for weeks in my grandparent’s house in northern Alabama and every night, before bed, my grandfather would always announce that it was time for a snack. We would all squeeze into their little kitchenette and wait while my grandfather set to work. After a few minutes of opening cabinets, he would set out plates, Peter Pan peanut butter (creamy, of course!), a sleeve of saltines, and a jar of my grandmother’s fig preserves. The method was precise; he would smooth just enough of the peanut butter onto the cracker and then would very carefully place one single fig on top. I look back now and realize what simple, common ingredients they were but, served with a glass of cold milk, those common ingredients combined into the best thing I had ever tasted! And to this day, it's what I prefer. It reminds me of them, of those sweet times and of summer itself. So, here’s to the end of summer and to all of our traditions that go along with it! What traditions do you have that remind you of summer?

This bed. I pass by this bed a dozen times a day. It is so common a sight that it has become background to me, a blur of white. It gets made. It gets unmade. And then it gets made again. It is one chore to be done in a very long list of chores. Let the marriage bed be undefiled. The marriage bed. Like a match struck in the dark, I see. No, not just a bed piled with laundry or children who are scared in the middle of the night. Not just a bed with sheets to be changed and pillows to be lined up just so. The marriage bed. A holy thing. A sacred thing. A thing to be mindful of. A thing to look on with awe. Moses led his flock to the far side of the wilderness and an ordinary bush became extraordinary. The bush burned with a flame yet was not consumed. The marriage bed. Take off your shoes for where you are standing is holy ground. “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled”                  Hebrews 13:4a