Contact: If you would like Laura to speak at an upcoming event or to write an article, feel free to contact her: laura(at)laurabooz(dot)come.

Who is she? Laura lives with her husband Ryan, and children in the mountains of Pennsylvania, where they are beginning a small-scale farm. She  has enjoyed speaking all over the country for ministries such as Pure Freedom, Marriage Savers, MOPS, AGLOW, and The Relevant Conference. Laura received some of her training through the Certificate in Women’s Counseling program from Westminster Theological Seminary and participated in a TruthXChange conference with author and speaker Peter Jones.

For five years, Laura wrote almost-daily posts for 10 Million Miles, but is currently taking a sabbatical from blogging.  She wrote and published the eBook Blogger Behave, and has written many guest posts and articles for blogs and ministries such as Covenant Eyes and Sister’s in Bloom.

Though building her home is her first priority, she cherishes a few opportunities each year to speak or write publicly about God and His Word.

Laura and her family are members of a local PCA church, where they are involved in the music, meal, and children’s ministries. Laura most enjoys spending time with her husband, homeschooling her children, writing, running, and leading a local women’s Bible study.  Some of her new year’s aspirations are to begin a flower garden and grocery-shop more like a “French girl” who brings home a wedge of fine cheese, a fresh baguette, and a bar of dark chocolate. (Doesn’t that sound so good?)

What does she write and speak about?

The Affection of Our Hearts : Despite the limitless topics of Bible studies, the theme of our existence always comes back to love, doesn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded of love’s significance in my own life. Be encouraged to love God more intimately, love His word more passionately, and love others more practically.

A Fruitful Marriage: Marriage is so beautiful – perhaps the most beautiful thing on earth. As two complementary humans vow to faithfully help and cherish one another, God promises to give the grace and courage that will be necessary to fulfill those vows. Be encouraged to lay your life down for your husband, to enjoy your husband’s friendship, and to become his loving wife.

A Fulfilling Motherhood: How do we best love the precious blessings that God has given us? How do we train them and guide them so that they will love Him, obey His Word, and walk humbly with Him? Be encouraged and equipped with practical ways to build your home and establish truth for your children.

Receiving Redemption: It doesn’t take long before each of us experiences some “hard knocks” in life: some are momentary traumas, others are life-long heartaches. We must set our eyes on Jesus, who sees and overcomes our darkest valleys for us. Whether we  are mourning someone’s death, recovering from abuse, finding our footing after a divorce, or healing from years of rebellion, God’s Word instructs us on how we should live in the process of redemption. Be encouraged to forgive and receive forgiveness, to love and receive love, as well as to be reconciled to God and become a minister of reconciliation.

What have others said about Laura’s work?

“She was a wonderful orator, very vibrant, challenging and encouraging.  I took a lot of notes that will certainly guide my prayer life and walk with the Lord.”

“Laura was genuine and easy to listen to.  I felt she was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

“She did an awesome job!  I loved her fire and love for the Word.  I am praying for that same desire and hunger for God’s word.”

“Laura was an excellent speaker.  She was relevant and truly has a heart for God.  I felt God shine through her.  She was truly a blessing to our group.”

(I’m not sure you can call it “hacking” when you help manage the technical side of the website – but let’s pretend anyway.)

“Your husband could win an iPad!”.  How could I not be curious at a subject line like that?

A few nights ago I had to look something up on the home computer.  As I woke it from sleep, Laura’s email was open and the highlighted conversation was between Laura and another Allume Social attendee.  It was a brief email, simply linking to Jesse’s Vlog post about the contest to win an iPad if husbands would hack their wife’s blog and make a guest post.  It wasn’t intended for me, but the other bloggers husband.  In fact, Laura still hasn’t mentioned it to me.

So I clicked the link and watched Jesse’s Vlog, and although the contest seemed simple enough, I honestly didn’t give it another thought until we prayed for Laura last night in preparation for her time away.

No… I wasn’t reminded about the iPad.

I was reminded about how Laura bristled at writing her thoughts and musings in anything but a leather bound, well-worn notebook.  With a pen.  In different colors if we had them.  In fact, I’m pretty sure one of the first conversations revolved around what in the world a “blog” was and what the word meant.   (seriously, this is not one of our finer technology abbreviations)

I was reminded of the journey of the last few years and how it played out through 10MillionMiles… how I’ve treasured seeing Laura use her gifts to the Glory of God – the exact reason I thought it might be a good outlet in the first place. (look, it was one of those rare times I thought of something good first… let me enjoy it.)

I was reminded at how my wife, who sacrifices and gives so much of herself, has been blessed to be filled up by others giving of their gifts too.  All in this little corner of the Internet where passionate, Christian women simply keep loving Jesus, loving each other, and trying to spur one another on to be more like Him.

What more could a husband ask for when his wife is using her gifts?

In the last five years, 10MillionMiles had 1,071 posts and 3,879 comments.  And during that time, Laura has had the privilege of attending three Allume conferences.  For me, that looks a little bit like:

• A video of Vivienne, age 2, reciting numerous scenes from Charlie Brown’s Christmas.  (oh, where does the time go…)
• Vivienne and Lia making their cooking videos
• The Vlog series on homeschooling and teaching our kids Godly character
• Homeschooling tips, tricks and successes
• sharing about the struggle and restoration of our early marriage
• Laura introducing Angie Smith at the first Allume who wrote about the lose of her stillborn baby, just months after Laura had delivered our third daughter, Juliette, stillborn.
• sharing with hundreds of online friends weeks later when Christ, in his Grace, allowed us to get pregnant with our fourth child, Malachi
• knowing I could post a prayer request on Laura’s blog days after Malachi’s birth as we watched him  become lifeless, a result of being tongue tied, and knowing that hundreds of people would jump to action (and man, did you ever!!!  Thank you!!)
• watching Laura learn to manage her time in the blog world better, so she could give her full attention to what matters most… so that she can give her best when she does take the time.
• writing a small ebook about that time management and how to put the eternal value of your blog into perspective, a project we tackled together.  That was fun.
• Laura, faithfully sharing God’s Word at the second Allume… and watching the tweets roll in as she spoke, evidence of a message well delivered.
• Choosing to put the blog aside for now – choosing instead to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit and, once again, focus on what is most important to Him… particularly the domain (and the people in that domain) that He’s provided for us.
• being sad (honestly), that Laura put the blog aside.  The first second thing I fell in love with was Laura’s wit and ability to communicate.  And she does that so well in writing that I do miss seeing it all flow out where I get a better glimpse of some of the things going on in her heart that just haven’t been put into spoken words yet.
• (but) having a wife that is faithfully following Christ – wherever that may lead.

And that’s probably just the top 100 posts.

Even as Laura has taken a break from full-time, personal blogging for most of this year, the friendships have continued and strengthened.  God has given Laura a greater passion to reach those closest to us through a community blog – and I’m pretty sure He’ll continue to bless her faithful efforts.

And I’ll be smiling the whole time.

Because it’s no secret.  Not only did I marry WAY up… I also get a front-row seat to watch each day what Christ is doing in Laura and how He’ll use it to encourage others, spread His Truth, and bless His name.

To reach out to our community, our family has decided to open a blog called PennsValleyFamily.com. We hope to encourage our neighbors by discovering local treasures and providing an online hub for all of the flea markets, tractor pulls, horse auctions, and chicken pot-pie dinners that are happening in our hometown.

Of course, I can’t help myself but to post some thoughts on parenting, farming, and life-in-general, so even if you live in Australia, you might discover a treasure or two over there. Come on over and say, “Hi”. 

Contact: If you would like Laura to speak at an upcoming event or to write an article, feel free to contact her: laura(at)laurabooz(dot)come.

Who is she? Laura lives with her husband Ryan, and children in the mountains of Pennsylvania, where they are beginning a small-scale farm. She  has enjoyed speaking all over the country for ministries such as Pure Freedom, Marriage Savers, MOPS, AGLOW, and The Relevant Conference. Laura received some of her training through the Certificate in Women’s Counseling program from Westminster Theological Seminary and participated in a TruthXChange conference with author and speaker Peter Jones.

For five years, Laura wrote almost-daily posts for 10 Million Miles, but is currently taking a sabbatical from blogging.  She wrote and published the eBook Blogger Behave, and has written many guest posts and articles for blogs and ministries such as Covenant Eyes and Sister’s in Bloom.

Though building her home is her first priority, she cherishes a few opportunities each year to speak or write publicly about God and His Word.

Laura and her family are members of a local PCA church, where they are involved in the music, meal, and children’s ministries. Laura most enjoys spending time with her husband, homeschooling her children, writing, running, and leading a local women’s Bible study.  Some of her new year’s aspirations are to begin a flower garden and grocery-shop more like a “French girl” who brings home a wedge of fine cheese, a fresh baguette, and a bar of dark chocolate. (Doesn’t that sound so good?)

What does she write and speak about?

The Affection of Our Hearts : Despite the limitless topics of Bible studies, the theme of our existence always comes back to love, doesn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded of love’s significance in my own life. Be encouraged to love God more intimately, love His word more passionately, and love others more practically.

A Fruitful Marriage: Marriage is so beautiful – perhaps the most beautiful thing on earth. As two complementary humans vow to faithfully help and cherish one another, God promises to give the grace and courage that will be necessary to fulfill those vows. Be encouraged to lay your life down for your husband, to enjoy your husband’s friendship, and to become his loving wife.

A Fulfilling Motherhood: How do we best love the precious blessings that God has given us? How do we train them and guide them so that they will love Him, obey His Word, and walk humbly with Him? Be encouraged and equipped with practical ways to build your home and establish truth for your children.

Receiving Redemption: It doesn’t take long before each of us experiences some “hard knocks” in life: some are momentary traumas, others are life-long heartaches. We must set our eyes on Jesus, who sees and overcomes our darkest valleys for us. Whether we  are mourning someone’s death, recovering from abuse, finding our footing after a divorce, or healing from years of rebellion, God’s Word instructs us on how we should live in the process of redemption. Be encouraged to forgive and receive forgiveness, to love and receive love, as well as to be reconciled to God and become a minister of reconciliation.

What have others said about Laura’s work?

“She was a wonderful orator, very vibrant, challenging and encouraging.  I took a lot of notes that will certainly guide my prayer life and walk with the Lord.”

“Laura was genuine and easy to listen to.  I felt she was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

“She did an awesome job!  I loved her fire and love for the Word.  I am praying for that same desire and hunger for God’s word.”

“Laura was an excellent speaker.  She was relevant and truly has a heart for God.  I felt God shine through her.  She was truly a blessing to our group.”

After 5+ years of blogging, I’m writing what could be my last post.

Quite honestly, I don’t want to begin.  Nor do I want to end.

I’ve loved blogging over these past five years. This space has been the home to stories about our children, our books, our chickens, and our thoughts. It has been a place where I can meditate on Scripture, work out a problem, promote a great idea, stand on a soapbox, and share a personal story. You, my readers, have been like a great and constant gust of wind that has filled my sails for 5 years, and kept me writing, writing, writing.

So, it’s you I must thank. Because of your enthusiasm, I’ve learned how to write better here. I’ve learned (a little bit) about how to respond to comments and emails; I’ve learned (a little bit) about how to express my thoughts for a limitless audience.  I’ve learned that people will love and support me even if I can’t come up with anything profound or helpful for weeks on end. (Your support has been such a gift!) Here, I’ve learned (even more) that I’m not alone. I have friends all around the world – some as close as blood relations, others as distant as strangers across the ocean – but all friends, here.

Lately, I’ve been reminded that to everything there is a season, and that my beautiful season of blogging is ending for now. I’m hoping that it will cycle back around again just like the spring rain we anticipate when February spins and tips us closer to the sun.

I’ll certainly keep this space open and ready for a new post when the time is right. (As always, there are still a dozen posts swirling around in my brain and I can’t believe I’m cutting them off. I wanted to write about how I’ve come to believe in a low-carb/high good fats fertility diet, how I’m loving the band Gungor, how Lia had an “I Love Cheese” birthday party, and how I still endorse Hard Lotion, Covenant Eyes, and microfiber cloths, but those posts will have to either find another outlet or wait until I return. Oh! I also wanted to write a post about how you’ve just got to read Tim Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage AND listen to Mark Driscoll’s series on marriage: both are gourmet, delicious, nutritious food for the heart and soul of a marriage. They are not a dime a dozen; not your average marriage material. You’re just going to love them, I know it! Oh, shoot. I have so many things I still want to tell you. How am I ever going to not blog??) I just need to take a deep breath and get on with the good byes. (This is much more painful than I thought it would be.)

As it turns out, it’s time for me to take the precious time that I have been pouring into my blog, and invest it into more reading, private writing, and Bible study. I feel very strongly that this is very important for me to do right now. I’ve known that it was coming for a while, but I’ve loved blogging so much that I’ve put it off as long as possible. It’s as if my “blogging sailboat” has bumped up against a strange new shore, and I have some exploring to do. Thank you for helping me arrive here.

You can access the archives at any time. Review our VLOGS, my book recommendations, thoughts on marriage, or even my thoughts following our stillbirth experience.  I’ve tried to include each post under an appropriate category so that you can find what you are looking for easily. Over time, I’ve even included some of my favorite blog posts under the “BEST OF” category. I hope you like them, too.

And, of course, you can always buy Blogger Behave for your friends, coworkers, neighbors, and local service workers. So, by all means, feel free to stop by the Blogger Behave site any old time.

If you’re new to the “world of blogs” and somehow stumbled upon 10 Million Miles as a starting point, I recommend you check out Sisters in Bloom or Allume so that you can meet lots of lovely writers at once and find what you’re looking for. If you like my writing style and topics, you might like a few bloggers whom I admire: Molly Piper, Rachel Jankovic, and Marla Taviano.

May God bless you, may you know how much He loves you, and may you walk in His ways so that you are protected, guided, and blessed.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading my writing.

Your time has been a gift to me.

Here’s hoping I’ll be back soon.

For example, let’s say it seems perfectly reasonable to me to allow the girls to play outside by themselves because I trust them and feel like they are big and brave. Besides, I have some indoor projects that I need to do and it’d be a lot easier to let the girls play by themselves. But then I envision, “MOTHER LETS 6- and 3-YEAR OLD PLAY OUTSIDE BY THEMSELVES“. I remember that they are still so young and I tote a project to the picnic table or don my garden boots and keep an eye on my babies.

Or, let’s say I think it’s perfectly reasonable to teach my 2-year old to read despite her tears.  “MOTHER REQUIRES 2-YEAR OLD TO READ AND DO MULTIPLE WORKSHEETS EACH DAY” just sounds oppressive. Poor little baby. I tell that mother to cool it.

Even when I think the girls are perfectly able to watch the baby for several minutes while I cook dinner, I need to hedge them in carefully so that their pure childishness isn’t mistaken for carelessness. Think about it: “MOTHER BAKES BROWNIES WHILE 3-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER BABYSITS FAST, STRONG, and HUNGRY BABY BROTHER” is down-right negligent.

It works just as well when I err on the side of babying the children: “MOTHER DOES ALL OF THE WORK ALL OF THE TIME DESPITE HAVING COMPETENT 6-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO HELP” is equally eye-opening.

So, that’s how I think sometimes! A peak into my crazy brain. Here’s hoping it is helping me to make better, more reasonable decisions.

Hope Renewed: Real Stories of God’s Promises Fulfilled is a beautiful compilation of stories from the Sisters in Bloom writers. Click here for your free copy and let God’s promises fill you with hope.

Hope After Porn: 4 women share their stories of heartbreak . . . and how their marriages were saved is available through Covenant Eyes and offers hope for the marriage that has been affected by pornography. Click here for your free copy and, by all means, send it along to a friend who needs a dose of hope for her marriage.

A tradition you might want to snatch up:

One of my favorite memories with my Dad occurred every February. We’d come home from school with our white paper bags full of Valentine’s cards and we’d snuggle up to Dad on the couch as he would read our Valentine cards aloud.  Dad would take each one out of the bag, unfold it, read it aloud, fold it back up, and return it to the bag. This was like a liturgy to me; it connected me to the other students in my class as I listened to their kind words over and over again (even if they did just sign their names at the bottom of a Strawberry Shortcake card), and it connected me to my Dad as he learned the names of my classmates (and could probably recite them to this day), and took an interest in my childhood community. In my memory, we read through them every night, many nights in a row. I’d keep my little white bag close by and jump at the chance to savor Valentine’s love over and over again.

Ryan and I made the mutual decision to stay home for Valentine’s Day this year. The girls will enjoy an annual Valentine’s Day shebang with some friends in the afternoon. In the evening, I’m finally going to jump in and try my hand at a Valentine’s Day Dinner. To keep things fun and simple, I think we’ll try the Heart Shaped Pizzas that I read about here and bring out the fondu pot for a chocolate-covered strawberry dessert. I’m sure we’ll sit on the couch and read through the girls’ Valentine cards (a tradition my father started with us many, many years ago!) and then, we’ll tuck all of the kiddos into bed, make these Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes that I have been eying for a full year, snuggle up by the fire, and watch Courageous together.

What are your plans?