“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

“I’m cooking supper, what are you doing, Micah?”

Two seconds pass.

“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

“Still cooking supper. What about you?”

Three seconds pass.

“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

A couple of weeks ago, Micah and I had that conversation 500 times a day. Literally. If I sat down, she asked. [...]]]>

“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

“I’m cooking supper, what are you doing, Micah?”

Two seconds pass.

“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

“Still cooking supper. What about you?”

Three seconds pass.

“What’re you doooooooin, Mama?”

A couple of weeks ago, Micah and I had that conversation 500 times a day. Literally. If I sat down, she asked. If I stood up, she asked. If I put my shoes on, she asked. If I brushed my hair, she asked. If I picked up a book, she asked.

The questioning was constant and drove me up the wall.

Now she’s moved on. She only asks me two or three times a day, but we’ve taken up another conversation in its stead.

“Somebody’s hidin’ in my woom, Mama.”

“Who’s in your room, baby?”

“A mon-ter’s in my woom.”

“There’s not a monster in your room, Micah.”

Pauses for two seconds.

“Somebody’s hidin’ in my woom, Mama.”

This conversation ensues every. single. time I ask Micah to take something to her room. The first time we had it, it made me grin. The 689th time we had it, I wanted to bang my head against the wall.

In case you can’t tell, her conversational skills are growing, even if she sounds like a broken record at times. She’s at such a fun age. Every time I turn around, it seems she’s learning something new. My jaw dropped the first time she pointed at a stop sign and told me that it was an ot-ta-gon, but really, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’ve been pointing at the octagon in her Elmo lift-the-flap book for months.

If you ask her name, she’ll answer Micah Joooones. We started working on my and Dennis’ names too, just in case someone asks her who her parents are. I didn’t have much hope in teaching her my name, but she’s getting there. If you ask her my name, she’ll say Essie Ann Joooones. Poor Dennis is left out. She knows his name but refuses to say it most of the time. To her, he’s Daddy Joooones.

She loves to eat and has an appetite like her mama. There’s not much that she turns down, and it’s funny to me that if there’s broccoli on her plate, she’ll eat it before anything else. She also loves Mexican food. Girl after my own heart. And breakfast. Also one of my favorites. Sometimes she eats more than I do, which is saying something. The girl can pack it away.

She’s fascinated with the idea of being a big sister, and she insists that the new baby is a girl. Poor thing will be disappointed if Peanut turns out to be a boy. She likes to lift my shirt and look at my belly, and every now and then, she’ll talk to the baby. Melts my heart.

She’s pretty stingy about giving out kisses, but if I pretend I don’t want one, she’ll grab my face between her little hands and cover it in kisses.

I don’t want to forget her at this age. I’ll take the toddler stage over the baby stage any day. That’s not to say that toddlerhood is without challenges. Last night we had a major meltdown over brushing her teeth. And she’s obsessed with things matching. If it doesn’t match, chaos will ensue. If she’s eating an orange and the wedges fall apart before she pulls them apart, she throws a fit, but I can handle all that. The good far outweighs the bad.

I love this little girl. Can’t imagine life without her.

Until next time, grace and peace.

If you’ve stopped by Senojal Designs lately, you may (or may not have) noticed that the etsy shop has been closed for quite some time. Due to major overwhelmation with writing projects and life in general, I shut it down shortly after Thanksgiving, and I haven’t looked back.

It was a tough [...]]]>

If you’ve stopped by Senojal Designs lately, you may (or may not have) noticed that the etsy shop has been closed for quite some time. Due to major overwhelmation with writing projects and life in general, I shut it down shortly after Thanksgiving, and I haven’t looked back.

It was a tough decision for me to make, but as much as I enjoy designing and creating beautiful stationery, it doesn’t fulfill me in the same way that writing does.

So I’ve taken a breather.

That’s not to say that the shop will remain closed forever. In fact, I’m planning to reopen the shop in the next few weeks, after I get the last of my current writing assignments turned in. But I don’t intend to let the business of running my own stationery shop consume me the way it has in the past.

I will always have an affinity for amazing paper, but I don’t see myself running the shop 20 years down the road. At least, I hope I’m not. It’s a hobby that I enjoy, but it likely won’t be my profession forever.

So. All of that to say, I still enjoy designing, but there’s simply not as much room for it in my life as there used to be. Because of that, I plan to devote more time to designing for minted challenges (did I mention that three of my designs have been selected to sell on the site?) and less time to manufacturing stationery. Sometimes you just have to take a step back. So that’s what I’m doing.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Our world is one of instant gratification. I can have popcorn in two minutes and the response to a text in seconds. Thanks to my fancy phone, I never have to wait until I get home to check my e-mail, and I can update

{print available from the wheatfield}

Our world is one of instant gratification. I can have popcorn in two minutes and the response to a text in seconds. Thanks to my fancy phone, I never have to wait until I get home to check my e-mail, and I can update twitter whenever it strikes my fancy. I grow annoyed at red lights and frustrated at train tracks. Waiting is not something I do well.

I know I’m not alone in this. Go on, admit it. You’re not good at waiting either. You know what you want, and like Veruca Salt on Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original version), you want it now.

The fast-paced-have-it-your-way-in-five-minutes-or-less culture that we live in has bred us to expect instant results. And most of the time, that’s fine. Except, of course, when we’re required to wait.

This week, I’ve been studying the Old Testament story of Abraham and Sarah. God promised them something big, and they waited a looooooooong time – 25 years to be exact – for it to happen.

Have you ever been there? Stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for something more? I am so there, y’all. I know how they felt. God promised me something a long time ago, and I’m wondering how long it will take for it to happen.

A couple of months ago, I went to Nashville with some other women from my church to attend a leadership forum. As I listened to some really fabulous women speak and teach, I was reminded of how badly I desire that kind of ministry. I recalled the moments in my life when I have felt God’s firm hand tugging me in that direction…and yet…I wait.

Don’t get me wrong – God has always been faithful to me. He has provided writing projects that have stretched and challenged me. I am currently overwhelmed by offers from editors, and that’s a good thing. Three years ago, with my brand new M.Div. gathering dust in the closet, it took me months to generate any sort of interest in my work. Months. I am thankful and grateful for the editors who have taken chances on me and allowed me to contribute to their publications. They have helped me get this train rolling.

But I’m still not satisfied. I want more. The prophet Jeremiah famously said that the word of God burned in him like a fire that he simply could not hold in.

I’m weary of holding it in, y’all.

And yet, in six short months, I will give birth to a brand new baby. My sweet little toddler is turning into quite a handful. I can’t even manage to go to the grocery store most weeks, much less travel across the country teaching the word of God. It’s just not time for that dream to become a reality. As much as I long for God to use me in such extraordinary ways, I feel like He is first calling me to be faithful in the place I am right now. In this stage of life. To raise my babies and serve in my church and write when I can.

God’s delay in fulfilling His promises is not His denial of their eventual realization.

Abraham and Sarah learned that by waiting. As for me, well, I’m trying. Patience takes practice, you know. I’m learning that just because it may not happen overnight doesn’t mean that it won’t happen at all. I’m taking it one step at a time and one assignment after another, all the while trusting that God’s timing is impeccable.

Until next time, grace and peace.

You may or may not remember that one of my goals for 2011 was to read more consistently. I’ve always loved reading, but in recent years, my reading has been practically nonexistent. That needed to change. It took me a [...]]]> Book: Saint Francis: Christian Encounter Series
Author: Robert West

You may or may not remember that one of my goals for 2011 was to read more consistently. I’ve always loved reading, but in recent years, my reading has been practically nonexistent. That needed to change. It took me a while to get back in the swing of things, but during the last half of 2011, I started reading again.

One of the first books I read was Robert West’s biography on Saint Francis. I’ve always been fascinated by the saint who stripped down to his birthday suit and renounced his former life of wealth, and West’s biography gave me greater insight into the life and theology of a man who would do such a thing.

I read Saint Francis immediately following my reading of David Platt’s Radical, and while it may seem like the books have nothing in common, together, they challenged me to do life differently. After reading these books and discussing them with Dennis, we decided to adjust our finances in order to give more freely. It may not seem like much, but it’s a start.

At only 221 pages, Saint Francis is a quick read, but the story was bogged down at times by West’s writing style. He meticulously describes the historical and cultural world that Francis lived in, but he could have done a better job of weaving those details into Francis’ actual story. As it stands, the historical passages seem a bit disjointed from the overall thrust of the book.

All of that said, I would still recommend this book to anyone who is curious about Francis of Assisi, a man whose great concern for the poor and personal vow of poverty literally changed the world.

Until next time, grace and peace.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for my honest review. If you’re interested in becoming a reviewer for Thomas Nelson, check out BookSneeze.

Surprise, surprise. It’s me again. Look out world, I’ve posted two days in a row :)

I’ve been thinking a lot about yesterday’s post, and I realize that it could have come across as a bit, well, depressing.

Rest [...]]]>

{print available from Red Letter Words}

Surprise, surprise. It’s me again. Look out world, I’ve posted two days in a row :)

I’ve been thinking a lot about yesterday’s post, and I realize that it could have come across as a bit, well, depressing.

Rest assured that Peanut (our temporary name for bambino numero dos) is not unwanted. To the contrary, we have talked about Peanut since before Micah was born. Peanut is most definitely wanted and loved. That said, Peanut’s emergence into our lives is unexpected and unplanned at the moment.

And in case you were wondering, unplanned pregnancy is hard. Period. Yes, this child is a blessing, and I am thankful that we have the means to care for and nurture Peanut. I am overwhelmed by the idea that God has entrusted yet another human being to our care, and yet, now that I’ve had a few months to get used to the idea, our lives would somehow be incomplete without this baby. This unplanned, unexpected baby is most certainly loved and wanted.

And so, life goes on. I am adjusting to the idea that Micah will be a big sister soon – even if I have absolutely no idea where Peanut is going to sleep. We’ve got some time to figure all that out.

I’m also learning that there’s some wisdom in adding “God willing,” to all your future plans. God willing, Peanut will arrive into this world a happy and healthy child. God willing, Micah will be the best big sister there ever was. And God willing, Dennis and I will be the kind of parents that God created us to be.

Until next time (God willing), grace and peace.

Family Traditions is about handing down faith from generation to [...]]]> A few weeks ago, I shared a link to part one of a Bible study about Abraham that I wrote for myMISSIONfulfilled. Today, I want to share part two of the Bible study with you.

Family Traditions is about handing down faith from generation to generation. As believers, we have a responsibility to mentor and assist younger believers as they grown in faith. Click through MMF to read the entire article, and let me know what you think!

Until next time, grace and peace.

As I’ve mentioned before, I used to be an avid reader. Then life happened, and I got busy, and I pretty much stopped reading. Here lately, I’ve been reviving my reading habits, reading at least a chapter a day of a nonfiction book after I finish my Bible reading, but I genuinely [...]]]>

As I’ve mentioned before, I used to be an avid reader. Then life happened, and I got busy, and I pretty much stopped reading. Here lately, I’ve been reviving my reading habits, reading at least a chapter a day of a nonfiction book after I finish my Bible reading, but I genuinely miss fiction.

That’s why I jumped right on board when my friend Mandy proposed the idea of an online book club. Because life is chaotic as usual, this is the first chance I’ve had to tell you about it. We’re reading Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind in six weeks, and if you’re interested, please join us!

Here’s the catch: reading started last Thursday, and our first round of discussion will start this Thursday (like two days from now), but please don’t let that discourage you from participating. I just picked up my copy of the book from the library yesterday, and there is absolutely no pressure. We just want to enjoy and share GWTW with one another.

So if you want to read, stop by Mandy’s blog for more information. I hope to see you there!

Until next time, grace and peace.