I love this time of year! I always get an extra bounce in my step and a new sense of energy with the new signs of spring. This is the time of year I also think of cleaning out seasonal stuff. It’s time to put away the winter attire and get out the summer shoes and clothes. Putting away our seasonal wardrobes makes it a great time to purge items we didn’t wear or won’t fit next year with the growing kiddos.  It’s also a great time to open the windows in the house and let the fresh air in while spring cleaning. With the start of each new season,…

“and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1c) I am not a runner. In fact, I’ve been known to jokingly say that running may be a sin since the Bible never portrays Jesus as running anywhere:). Despite not being a runner, I do know a bit about running races. As Hebrew 12:1 states, as a Christian, I am on a race to eternity and I’m called to run it well. Unfortunately, I struggle with the “endurance” part. Looking back, it is easy to see that I have lived my life as a series of intensive sprints, some longer, some shorter. As one can imagine, a lifestyle…

Living on the farm, April is a wonderful time of year with the beginnings of spring and new life on the farm. We start calving and with the baby calves comes a new kind of energy to the farm. It is an energy of rejuvenation. It’s time to get the equipment ready for spring planting with anticipation of what the crop year will look like.  Being a farmer and getting a first-hand view of mother nature’s renewal and the life cycle of new beginnings is definitely a great benefit. With the change in weather, it means we get to spend more time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. Farm…

Summer is a time when we think of hot days, short nights, being outside most of the day, picnics, and mosquitoes buzzing. I remember summer days filled with the activities of going to grandma and grandpa’s house hanging out.  We would help with house cleaning, cooking and baking, and gardening. One of my fondest memories was sitting outside with family. While sitting outside we would cut and eat huge watermelon slices while trying to see how far we could spit the seeds. With all the seeds we spit I’m surprised grandma and grandpa didn’t have a watermelon patch growing.   In today’s day and age, summertime for kids is very different.…

No worries….I do not have any strange health concerns and haven’t had a run-in with poison ivy. My fingers are fine medically, but they are filled with anticipation to start digging in the dirt!  I love to garden! Yes, it is rewarding to see the garden grow, the beauty of the plants, and of course eating and cooking with the beautiful produce. However, the greatest reason I find to plan, design, and sow my garden each year is it renews my soul. Ecclesiastes 3:1 states “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” and continues on from there that there is a time for…

I love spring! The earth is coming back to life after a season of rest. Families are planning summer vacations and kids are looking forward to sleeping in and no homework. Amid all these plans, spring also boasts a host of celebrations: Easter, graduations, confirmations, Mother’s day, and more. I have worked my entire adult life in higher education, and, as a result, experience graduation every year. In fact, in my previous role, I planned the graduation ceremony for my university. I loved it! To celebrate the accomplishment of hard work is amazing, but it always made me super excited to celebrate young people commencing another phase of life. My…