Monica Wilkinson

Behind the Nametag

2026-08-16T18:53:13.311-04:00

Hi, my name is Monica and I’m David’s wife, mom to Emily, Rachel, and Samuel, a member of Cross Community Church, homemaker, daughter, sister, friend, writer, Bible study leader, Bible teacher, and chief dog-walker in our household. While all of those things are true, have you noticed that when we introduce ourselves - we like to lead with titles, names of family members, or other adjectives which will describe things about us?

Why do we do that? Perhaps to give context to how we spend our time, to tell something about us, to make ourselves feel important or to create a visual of how needed we are. And it might even be so we project a certain image to another person we are meeting. What will they think about me as a person based on how I introduce myself?

The funny thing is that the titles we tend to use don’t necessarily describe who we are as a person. What our deepest essence is, what our gifts and talents are, or what our personality is like. Titles and descriptions are somewhat surface level and may not even capture the most important things about us.

Friend, the most important thing about us is if we are servants of Jesus Christ! Our identity comes from and is secure in Him alone. Not in what we do for Him, but in being with Him. This can be easy to acknowledge but difficult to be content with. We want to do things for Him! We want to be needed, purposeful, intentional, and useful. But, when we look at the title, role, or nametag as more valuable - we are on shaky ground where we may start to feel that our actions change how God feels about us and make us more necessary to Him.

The God of the universe does not need anyone of us or anything else to accomplish His purposes! He allows us to be His tools because He knows that it grows us in dependence on Him and shapes our hearts to worship Him. It brings growth to us and glory to Him!

I love how the book of James opens – “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.” (James 1:1, ESV) He tells us very little about himself and his role, title, personality, gifts or talents. But he tells us absolutely the most important information we could ever need to know about himself - He belongs to Christ.

James had qualifications to share and he could’ve name-dropped his brother Jesus! But instead of saying James, brother of Jesus, influential leader in the early church, witnessed the resurrection in person, and Chairman of the Jerusalem Council - he introduces himself to us as the servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A servant implies submission, being under the authority and rule of another, a place of humility and a posture of relying on a stronger, greater leader for guidance and wisdom. He is not asking for any special favors just because of what family he was born into, nor in regard to anything that God has allowed him to do for the kingdom.

Paul takes this even further in Philippians 3:1-11 where he describes his credentials and then says how worthless they are in light of knowing Christ.

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else things he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness form God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Think about the role you have in your local church. You may be a regular attender, a member, an active part of ministry teams with roles and titles, or even on staff. God may be using you in a congregation of 10 or 2,000. And these roles and leadership opportunities are such a gift not only to those able to serve, but to those who are being served. However, they must not be our goal, our prize, our reward, our identity, or our savior.

What happens when you take the nametag off? Will your walk with the Lord still be the same? Still be enough? Dear sister, it must be! Eternity with Christ is our goal, our prize, our reward. And God sent His only Son to the earth to die for our sins to give us a new identity and become our Savior!

It must be enough for us to be a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ before we are anything else. This is the only lasting and true identity we can ever have. When we have this, we have everything else! We know that no matter what roles change, what nametags we put on and take off during our lives, HE is enough!

Our contentment in serving the Lord Jesus Christ means that even if not one other living soul knows what our gifts are, what talents He has entrusted to us, how He has wired our personality, or how He may use us - it will still be enough to use these things in the quiet of our hearts and souls to seek, worship, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ!

Our identity as servants of the Lord Jesus are a beautiful testimony to a world in desperate need of a Savior. As I walk through a season of transition and am struggling with identity - I’m reminding myself of these gospel truths as well.

When we are in places of leadership - remember that those you serve as you serve the Lord, have an identity in Christ behind any title or role they hold. When we are in places of quiet and not serving publicly - remember that our identity is in Christ not in any title or role we do not hold. Our identity does not change with position, title, or role. We are image bearers of the Living Christ!

Imagine the conversations we might have by introducing ourselves as a servant of the Lord Jesus! He is right there in the conversation immediately. And it is the truest and most important thing we could ever say about ourselves.

I’m preaching to myself here - maybe to your heart too? We don’t need to explain who we are with titles, roles, or accomplishments - if we truly believe Jesus is enough - then that is true for our identity as well.

There certainly may be a time and place for providing context - making a phone call and identifying yourself on the phone by where you work, go to school, or worship. But if we find that we need to provide a list of qualifications to our introductions then we may be tempted to chase the accomplishments over resting in the Savior.

If I could just earn this degree, I would be qualified.

If my children would just say or do this, I would look like a good parent.

If I was more prepared, I would feel more adequate at my job.

If this season was not filled with suffering, then I would have more joy.

If I earned this title, then I would be fulfilled.

Absolutely every one of those statements above is a lie and will not satisfy us. The only if/then in Jesus’ economy is if you call on the name of the Lord, then you will be saved! He satisfies, He saves, He gives us a new identity, He calls us His! That is the nametag I want to wear proudly and never take off!

These are all things I've wrestled with especially recently in stepping away from a titled position on our church staff. It is hard to explain what I'm doing right now and hard to rest in it sounding like enough. But let's try that beginning intro one more time... Hi friends, I'm Monica Wilkinson, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. My identity is in Christ. My only hope is Jesus Christ. The most important thing in my life is Christ.

Choosing the Lowest Place

2026-08-05T19:51:49.464-04:00

Over two decades ago, I was in my upper twenties and working at a conference center. I had been reading in Luke 14 about choosing the lowest place.

“Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place to this person,” and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher.” Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ He said also to the man who had invited him, ‘When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.’” (Luke 14:7-14, ESV)

Here is what I journaled at the end of this ordinary Monday…

Today, I was scheduled to attend a lunch welcoming collegiate student summer staff. I would be introduced, get a free lunch, and get to know some of the students. But, God had another plan in mind!

Just as I was preparing to leave my desk - my phone rang and it was a frantic co-worker asking me to please jump in and be the tour guide for the tour of the property which was to have started a few minutes before.

I quickly explained about the meeting, but knew in the back of my mind that the right thing would be to just stay and do the tour. I asked other co-workers, and even felt permission to hand the problem off to someone else. So, I did. And, went off to the meeting.

Before they got ready for our group to be introduced, they discovered the tour was still not taken care of...and they came up with no other option than for me to go back and do the tour.

On my drive back I was crabby, grumbling, complaining and just unpleasant in general. I knew I would be faced with a group of people who were waiting and wondering and maybe even upset. Their tour was to have started almost 30 minutes ago and while they did watch a short video, they still had to wait.

I was also quick to point out to myself that this was one reason I hadn't wanted to be trained to do these tours. And all the way over, I just laid my yucky attitude before God and said, "Lord, I don't want to give this tour and I have a rotten attitude about it."

But, I knew in my heart these people deserved a great tour - the best I could give. I quoted to myself, "Whatever you do - do it all for the glory of God." (Colossians 3:23) And, when I was nearly there - the phrase was like a lightning bolt..."Choose the lowest place." A powerful reminder of a passage God had really placed on my heart just a few days ago.

I got to the tour, the people were spectacular and so friendly - we had a delightful time together seeing the beauty of the place I loved working at. I was indeed blessed by being in their presence. What a God-thing!

But then as I thought more about the passage in Luke - I realized I had few things backwards.

I knew it would be the right thing to go ahead and choose the lowest place and do the tour. In my mind, I set the honorable place on what would bring me glory - being introduced and recognized. But, since I chose the place of "higher" honor - God allowed me to be humbled by having to be told to go back and to the tour instead of choosing it.

Imagine how much more I would have glorified Him if I had just chosen the lower place first.

Later in the day, thoughts would creep in of wondering if anyone realized what I'd felt like I had sacrificed. If they'd realized I missed lunch and hadn't brought anything because I was planning something different.

But the still small Voice kept saying, "Take the lowest place". And I knew, again, that it was a discipline of the mind that needed to rule over these thoughts.

So, today while many ate pizza, and others saw God's beauty at this amazing place for the first time - I was on the Potter's Wheel being shaped and re-shaped into the woman God wants me to be! Hallelujah. What a kindness of God.

Over two decades later, this lesson still resonates with me and I still fail to choose the lowest place more times than I care to admit. As the Lord has reminded me of this, I would love to take a moment to consider some practical ways we can choose the lowest place remembering that, in God’s economy, the way up is down.

In moments of frustration or needing to clear your mind and focus, rather than picking up your phone and opening social media to see what others are up to or what you are missing, turn on worship music or recite a favorite passage of Scripture. It doesn’t matter what others are doing, it matters that we worship the Lord.
When you have a few moments of free time, use them to invest in your relationship with the Lord: open His Word, pray, memorize a passage of Scripture, quietly meditate on what you have been studying lately, or praise God for who He is!
Remember that even if no human ever sees or notices your service, gifts, or talents - God does. Our work is an offering to Him, done to honor and glorify Him, and it is more than enough for Him to see that. The way we serve the Lord in the secret and hidden place shows what kind of integrity and motivation we are working from. When no one is watching, will I still do my best to honor the Lord - I will when I’m choosing the best place!
Examine my motives - when opportunities arise to serve or participate in things, it is a good time to pause and pray. What are our motives for saying yes or no? Will this enable us to choose the lowest place and honor the Lord? Or will we be thinking about how we will look to others?
A good ministry leader will be interested in choosing the lowest place. Leadership does require a certain amount of outward facing skill and personality, but when we invite others in to serve with us, giving away everything you can to others to share the reward, and give God all the glory - we are choosing the lowest place.
In times of feeling misunderstood or unheard by a spouse, child, or friend - we can ask the Lord to keep our hearts soft. Perhaps there is a reason that the other one has not asked about what we hoped or did not respond in understanding. Have they had a hard day? Are they really trying to be difficult? Choosing the lowest place can look like believing the best in another until we have more facts to base our reaction on. Asking the Lord to keep our hearts soft is a humble posture that demonstrates surrender and service.
Saying “I’m sorry” first is a great way to model choosing the lowest place. Pride gets defensive and demands being right and justified in our feelings and opinions. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” It might feel good in moment to retort with the zinger on your tongue, but even more beautiful when we hold our tongues and remain quiet instead.

If you still need a little help - read through this passage from Philippians 2:1-11 and pray it to the Lord crying out and asking for His help in choosing the lowest place. Give thanks to Jesus for the way He chose the lowest place on our behalf so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to Him. Choosing the lowest place is not always easy to do, but it is fruitful and such a sweet place to walk in fellowship with the Lord.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Open Tabs

2026-07-27T11:39:43.207-04:00

Because I'm notorious for having lots of tabs open on my browser, this is a fun series to share what some of those tabs are! This will be a random assortment of things!

+ My girls and I thoroughly enjoyed watching The Other Bennet Sister! And just this weekend I watched Seeking Persephone for free on my library app!

+ I received a couple of Emily Lex watercolor books and her watercolor set for my birthday and have had fun trying out watercolors!

+ Enjoying this new song: Narrow Way

+ For our 4th of July breakfast, I made this Coffee Cake with berries and freshly whipped cream - delish!

+ This study has been great for this season of transition with solid reminders of God's faithfulness! Now & Not Yet Bible Study

+ For when you are chilly in the summer A/C but don't need a heavy sweatshirt: Aerie Hooded Fleece Cape

+ I love these once in a while for a special treat! Crisp Apple Olipop

+ My girls have reminded me how much fun browsing Pinterest is!

+ This dumpling recipe turned out delicious!

Your turn! Tell me about a fun find, creative inspiration, or open tab on your browser!

Even There

2026-07-12T11:38:33.809-04:00

Psalm 139

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

There is a laminated copy of Psalm 139 hanging in my shower. It's been there for about a year as I was meditating on this passage in preparation for our women's retreat at church last October. The two words that I've repeated to myself many times over the past months are ... even there.

In this Psalm, we see David remind his own heart that he is fully seen and known by God. David acknowledges he can't go higher than God, lower than God, further east or west than God - even there.

By declaring this truth, David preaches to his soul that he can't get away from God's omniscience (the fact that God is all knowing), omnipresence (the fact that God is everywhere), and omnipotence (the fact that God is all powerful). And we do need to remind our souls of this from time to time - or all the time perhaps.

When we think that we can hide something from God ... even there.

When we feel invisible and forgotten by God ... even there.

When we forget God in our comfort and ease ... even there.

When we don't know what God is up to ... even there.

When we experience deep feelings of sorrow or doubt ... even there.

You can create your own sentence with a joy or burden that is on your heart and the answer will still be even there.

Let this truth settle deep into your soul - He is with you even there.

Corrie ten Boom said it well when she said,

"There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still."

Choosing a Bible Study

2026-07-05T17:10:34.302-04:00

We are blessed to live in a time of access to many wonderful resources! With this can also come some overwhelm as we try to sift through the many choices. In addition, it can be confusing to know what we can trust and what studies are worth our time and energy.

The very best thing you can do when you want to study your Bible is study your Bible! It can be tempting to want the newest study book or to jump into something a favorite author or influencer has published. But resources are great tools and can be helpful in our study of the Word.

Here are some thoughts to help you in choosing a Bible Study:

* A great Bible Study book helps you in learning to study the Bible and keeps the Word as the central focus of the study. This may seem obvious, but sometimes you can spend more time reading someone else's opinion than actually studying the Bible. Keep an eye out for resources that send you to the Word, disciple you in how to read the Word, and ground commentary in the Word.

* Pray and ask for wisdom and discernment from the Lord! You can also ask someone on staff at your church or a trusted sister in Christ for recommendations. Will this study edify your walk with the Lord? Is it a book study or a Bible study? This may seem like a nuanced difference - but a book may serve a very different purpose than a Bible study.

* Look at who the author of the study follows, who follows them, what authors the publisher is choosing, and statements of belief. This is not always foolproof but can be a good way to find out more especially when it is a new-to-you author.

* Some simple questions that can help you narrow down your search might also include: how long of a study are you looking for? Do you want it to have video sessions included? Are you interested in studying a book of the Bible or a topic? What format would help you?

* Remember that a study guide as a resource is to serve you in your walk with the Lord. You do not serve the study book! There is freedom to use it in a way that works for you or not use it in a way that doesn't work for you. And like many things - even if you don't finish every bit of homework, what you do finish will still be a benefit. Be open to how the Lord might lead you during the study - you might depart from the homework to dig into something that you are curious about in the Word! What a gift!

Here are some specific recommendations - there is a complete list of resources here that I compiled over several years of women's ministry newsletters at our church.

The Gospel Coalition Women's Initiatives - articles, podcast, newsletter, and book recommendations; a wealth of information and a great resource for women! Key note speakers in cohorts and conferences are a great resource for further content including Jen Wilkin, Melissa Kruger, Ruth Chou Simons, Nancy Guthrie, and more.

Meet Me in the Bible series - introduces the Observe, Interpret, Apply method of study and disciples in how to study your own Bible!

Well-Watered Women - most of their studies have been retired or are pdf only, but their content is still beautiful and great quality!

She Reads Truth - this has been my most trusted source over the years in women's ministry. I like it because it is accessible to women in many levels of growth, includes daily reflections on their website as well as weekly podcasts. I will give a little caution that sometimes the podcast is not my favorite and they were recently acquired by Penguin Random House. I hope this does not change their focus or content but will be keeping an eye out to see.

Revive Our Hearts - another wealth of resources for women! Everything that I've seen from Revive our Hearts is very well done and beautifully focused on worshipping the Lord!

I've also enjoyed Bible studies from Hosanna Revival, Daily Grace Co and Lifeway.

Do you have a favorite Bible study you've done? I would love to hear about it!

A Fresh Beginning

2026-06-18T15:36:00.000-04:00

Hi friend, it's been awhile! And does anyone even read blogs anymore? The last time I posted was almost three years ago and even then it was very sporadic. Life has been full and I don't really know a way to catch up on all that time other than to hit some top highlights in a bullet point format - so here goes, in no particular order - along with pix from my camera roll this spring:

* We still live in the same house!

* As of May, all three of our kids have completed High School - the end of an era.

* David is still serving in law enforcement.

* I've spent the past nearly six years serving on our church staff and developing a women's ministry - what a gift and privilege. I've recently stepped away from that and am eager to see what the Lord has in mind next for me.

* I have a heart for writing, teaching women, and studying God's Word as well as encouraging women who are serving in women's ministry.

* Right now, I sense the Lord drawing me into a quiet and hidden space with Him for a season - pursuing family time, spending time in the Word and prayer, and being more private.

* I have an updated writing, teaching, content page with lots of new links!

* Cozy is still my favorite vibe.

* A few books I've enjoyed this year: The Bible is For You, Gospel Mom and Becoming a Gospel Mom, Biblical Femininity, Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, and The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood.

* This Spring, I completed the GO certificate for Ministry to Women with SEBTS.

* Books I'm currently reading: Way of the Wildflower, The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary, Yet: a study in Habakkuk from Hosanna Revival.

* Last week, I went to The Gospel Coalition Women's conference - it was fantastic! You can view the recordings here!

* A new song I'm enjoying: Narrow Way.

* All of my people are home for the summer and I am trying to soak up every minute of it!

* I have a mixed relationship with Instagram - should I post, should I not? Right now I'm very back and forth.

* Most of my creative efforts in the past few years have been in writing and content creating for our local church women! I've loved it and am looking forward to doing a few creative things at home this summer. I need to remind myself how to have fun!

So what will this be going forward? Well, I'm not really sure - my standard answer to just about everything in my life right now!

It won't be about our family, this is a season where that will be reserved for off-line in-real-life community. But it will be a place for me to write and share, which I need an outlet for. I would love to come alongside other women's ministry leaders in encouragement and support, and to speak at women's events and retreats if that is what God has for me.

I would love to hear from you! Tell me one or more of the following:

* What is a favorite book you've read this year?

* What is God doing in your life?

* Is there a way that I can serve or encourage you?

Thanks for stopping by - a few more photos to wrap up!

Rachel's Last First Day of School

2023-08-16T20:11:00.003-04:00

2022 Books

2022-12-31T11:06:00.001-05:00

January:

Sustaining Faith by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of WWII by Madeline Martin

February:

3191: Evenings by Stephanie Congdon and Maria Alexandra Vettese

To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M. White

When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace by Ruth Chou Simons

When Strivings Cease Bible Study by Ruth Chou Simons

The Words We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel

March:

The Lady of Galway Manor by Jennifer Deibel

Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem

The Gold in These Hills by Joanne Bischof

April:

She Reads Truth Lent study - book of Ezekiel

Exalting Jesus in Ezekiel (Christ-Centered Expositional Commentary)

Grow Slow by Jennifer Dukes Lee

Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden

May:

The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah Ladd

Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant

The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers (read aloud)

July:

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

God of Creation by Andrew Peterson

August:

The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron

The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant

Purpose in Prayer by E.M. Bounds

September:

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz

Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund

Word-Filled Women's Ministry edited by Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

(Un)remarkable: 10 Ordinary Women who Impacted Their World for Christ by Revive our Hearts Staff Writers

October:

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

A Cowboy for Keeps by Jody Hedlund

She Reads Truth: Revelation

November:

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

Enjoy your Prayer Life by Michael Reeves

The Bible

Godspeed by Matt and Julie Canlis

Better Together: A Guide for Discipleship from Daily Grace Co.

December:

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson

Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons

On the Way to Christmas by Sheila Parker, Melissa Ferguson and Amy Clipston

She Reads Truth: Advent - Joy of Every Longing Heart

When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber

First Day of School Walk Through the Years

2022-08-18T17:16:00.002-04:00

With Emily just starting her senior year, I had fun going through and pulling out a photo from each of her first day of school pix!

Camp Cozy: Day 3

2022-08-12T09:06:00.001-04:00

Camp Cozy: Day 2

2022-08-11T08:58:00.002-04:00

Camp Cozy 1st Day

2022-08-10T08:56:00.009-04:00

Moingona, Iowa

2022-07-12T06:00:00.016-04:00

Our girls were involved in the school play this spring which was based on a true story that occurred in Moingona, Iowa. We realized we would be able to drive through there on our trip and it was really fun to see the sights that set the stage for the story they worked so hard on!

Michigan: Last Day

2022-07-11T06:00:00.001-04:00

Michigan: Day Three

2022-07-07T06:00:00.081-04:00

Monday morning appeared gray, chilly and wet! We went ahead with our plans to go to Mackinac Island for the day and were rewarded with smaller crowds and some cozy photos because of the fog! Thankfully, it warmed up and the sun came out in the afternoon!

I always love seeing Kelle Hampton's posts about Mackinac and had been wanting to go to The Woods restaurant at her suggestion. We finally made it and enjoyed a cozy lunch and the best hot chocolate!

Michigan: Day Two

2022-07-06T06:00:00.038-04:00

The morning after we arrived, I woke up to use the restroom and this caught my eye through the window. It was before 5am, but I tiptoed in to wake my Mom and we both pulled on a sweater and headed outside to watch the arrival of morning - stunning!

Later in the day we did some exploring and saw Top Gun!

Visiting Michigan: Day One

2022-07-05T06:00:00.001-04:00

We just returned from a great road trip and I thought it would be fun to revisit this space and share some of our adventures! First stop: Michigan!

Spring Break Emily's Perspective

2022-04-28T06:00:00.048-04:00

Spring Break Part 3

2022-04-27T06:00:00.012-04:00

Tomorrow I'll share Emily's photos!

Spring Break Trip Part 2

2022-04-26T06:00:00.080-04:00

Spring Break Trip! Part 1

2022-04-25T06:00:00.102-04:00

Happy Spring! Thought it would be fun to pop in and share some photos of a trip that I took last week with Emily! I asked her where she wanted to go and she said Washington state! Wanting to be very intentional with the time we have before she graduates (in May 2023), this was a super fun trip for just the two of us!

Enjoy the visual trip through photos! I have lots of photos (shocking) so I'll be sharing them throughout this week!

Versatile Garland

2022-02-07T06:00:00.039-05:00

On a recent weekend away with a friend, we got crafty! She has a vinyl cutting machine and even though we did not plan ahead, this craft came together so well! Ahead of time we simply agreed to bring things from our stash to share and that we would figure out a craft when we got there - I usually love to plan ahead but being right after Christmas, this fit my speed.

I brought fabric scraps from this Songbook collection and we found the burlap garlands on clearance at Michaels - thus the idea was born! Laying in bed, I was inspired to see how many words we could make to fit the number of pieces we each had - I'm still not entirely sure how this worked out so well, but we both love it!

We bought three garlands between us and each had ten pieces, so we each ended up with fifteen. There are letters on the front and back, therefore we had 30 letters to work with. In case you decide to make your own, here are all the details!

15 pieces burlap, paper, fabric or anything you desire to make a garland out of! The clearance garland we used is linked above or here is something similar on Amazon.

Fabric scraps, two-sided iron-on interfacing, scissors.

You can either print out letters and use those as templates or use a vinyl cutting machine if you have one to get the letter shapes.

You will need to make the following letters:

A - 2

C - 2

D - 1

E - 2

F - 1

G - 1

H - 1

I - 1

J - 1

K - 1

L - 1

M - 2

N - 2

O - 2

P - 2

R - 1

S - 1

T - 1

U - 1

W - 1

Y - 2

Z - 1

We spent some time figuring out which letters could go back to back and still be able to make a variety of words - here are the combos you need to put back to back:

H/J

D/Z

W/K

F/P

G/E

N/C

N/P

T/Y

L/M

S/M

A/C

A/I

E/Y

O/R

O/U

Here are the words we came up with that could be made with these letter combinations:

Joy

Holy

Peace

Adore

Cozy

Welcome

Noel

Come On In

Come To Life

Adore Him

Comfy Cozy

Cozy Nest

Gather

Easter

Hosanna

Come to Him

Thankful

Winter

Slow

Happy

Grateful

Spring

Slow Day

Freedom

Glory

Worship

Home

Community

Peace

Pray

Family

Faith

Thank You

Grace

Thanks

Hope

Happy Easter

Happy Day

Rest

Rejoice

Nest

Let me know if you make this! It's so fun, versatile and cute!

Open Tabs

2022-02-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

A few random things we've enjoyed lately!

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup: after a school event that we had provided broccoli and cauliflower for, we had tons of veggies leftover. I did a quick web search for a good way to use the produce and this soup was just the thing - it was delicious!

Speaking of soup, this Cauliflower Parmesan soup from the Wal-Mart deli is delicious and reminds me of a favorite soup in Colorado Springs from Fargos Pizza! My mom used to bring it to me when I didn't feel good and I've tried in vain to find a recipe - so thrilled to discover this! Now I want to try this recipe and see if I can get close at home.

The Last Bookshop in London - a lovely audio book that I enjoyed on a recent weekend away while driving in the car!

J Crew sherpa lined boots - a splurge with Christmas money but I have worn them every single day since they arrived. They are SO comfy and warm!

Homemade Twix bars: I made these to share at staff meeting at church because they are gluten-free and vegan, however I did not use dairy free chocolate chips and didn't even think about it until later so I guess they are not dairy free after all! Oh well! I made the caramel from this recipe for the middle layer and it was amazing!

All Creatures Great and Small: after seeing several mentions of this online with good reviews, I decided to check out the first season from our library - we loved it! Now we are watching season 2 on the PBS website as it releases!

Making Sourdough Work For Me

2022-01-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

As an aspiring sourdough bread baker, I am also a frustrated baker. Sourdough feels tricky to me mainly because it does not do the same thing every time and after flat loaves coming out of the oven, it is hard to stay motivated to continue!

However, my family and I love fresh, warm, artisan sourdough and it is not cheap at the grocery store. After trying to be a sourdough purist, killing my starter, trying a dry starter, quitting and finally starting over again. I think we are finally on a path that feels sustainable and successful enough to press on!

A couple of months ago, I posted on Facebook that I was looking for some starter if anyone had any and I was immediately given three starters. This in itself felt a bit overwhelming because keeping a starter alive and happy has felt like keeping a human alive to me in the past and this was three of them! Then at Christmas, we were given an additional starter - so, we have an abundance of starter right now!

In my frustration with sourdough, I turned to the no-knead dutch oven bread recipes that flood blogs and articles. The bread is consistently more successful but in my opinion, somewhat lacking in the flavor we so enjoy from sourdough.

(Insert lightbulb over my head!) Finally I had a thought that perhaps I could use a no-knead recipe which has consistent results but substitute sourdough starter for some of the water called for in the recipe to impart flavor. This makes it sort of a hybrid bread because it contains a very tiny amount of yeast and also a good portion of sourdough starter.

This has proven to be a good choice for us, it has worked for both Rachel and myself, is a better flavor bread and we have also tweaked the timing of the mixing/baking to work for us and that has been great as well. We have made this several times with almost the exact same result each time. Whereas sourdough is highly affected by weather - temperature and humidity, this hybrid recipe seems to be less so.

I know what you are going to say - I've heard so many people say sourdough is so easy once you get the hang of it. And perhaps that is true for them, but it has not proven true for me - kind of like the time I grew the most amazing zinnias from starters and have not had much success in over a decade since then but everyone claims they are the easiest flowers to grow. In some ways, I know it is my circumstances which make the difference - I don't really want to figure out and calculate each time based on humidity, temperature, etc. I want to mix the same recipe each time and have the bread turn out the same each time.

So here is what is working for me!

-sourdough starters are kept in the fridge and fed about every 5 days, we have three jars and three different kinds of lids and there seems to be no difference in any of them - one is plastic wrap, one fabric and one has a lid screwed on.

-I start with this bread recipe and then substitute 3/4 c. starter for half of the water. Once I warmed the starter that I poured out so it would not kill the yeast but the other times we have just used it cold and it has not seemed to matter. Baking instructions we use are as written in the linked recipe.

-we have mixed our dough in the morning right around breakfast time, covered it with a towel and moved it away from the window to rise/rest. We usually bake around dinner time in the evening.

-after mixing our dough, I feed the starters and put them back in the fridge. I usually use some from each one (I know, I should just combine them, but they each have kind of a cool story: one is from Hawaii, two from San Francisco from different friends) so that they naturally have some starter discarded before feeding and replacing in the fridge.

We live on the coast, so our weather is considerably more moderate than other places, so keep that in mind if this doesn't sound like it would work for you!

This has felt like the best of both worlds - consistent bread with a yummy sourdough flavor. I hope it continues to work and I'm proud of the fact that I'm willing to say this is the way that works for me and pressing on to find a way that does feel doable. Perhaps this will encourage you in some endeavor that you desire but doesn't seem to be working to see how it can be adapted to fit your life and goals!

Story and Soul Weekend

2022-01-10T06:00:00.054-05:00

For several years, I've wanted to go to Story and Soul weekend in the Memphis area. This year it finally worked out and I went with a new friend who is now a dear friend!

The focus of the weekend is stillness, Scripture and sisterhood. Yes please. Such a gift.

And then this absolutely adorable little town square on our way back into town!