I never expected June to come with so much pressure—the kind that whispers so much to do, so little time. Last year, I was in a role that required me to work through the summer. It was the first time I had done that since college. As a former teacher, summers off had always been…
A Place to Begin Again
Today I write to you from our porch. It’s a sunny, breezy, and low-humidity morning. The birds are busy singing, fish are jumping on the pond, and the occasional Cessna cruises by in the sky. It’s one of those “perfect” mornings I wish I could repeat every day. Do you have a favorite season? Every…
God’s Grace in the Garden
This article was originally published in Link2Us Magazine. If living in the country has taught me anything, it is that there is an abundance of grace to be found every morning we wake. Giving us the gift of a fresh start and another chance to press forward into the purpose God has for us. And…
In the Middle of Spring
Ever since moving to the country, spring has become a marked time in my life. I can still remember being surprised by the woodpecker who thought our wood gutters were a suitable place to peck. I’d slide open the old, cloudy window that faced the pond and yell, “Go on, Woody!” It wouldn’t be too…
Hope for a Friendship Suffering a Season of Change
By Kristine Amundrud @kamundrud I caught myself ruminating on a friendship and how it had changed. Everything felt different after returning from our family’s annual summer trek to the west coast. Daily check in text messages suddenly diminished. Opportunities to meet up became increasingly difficult in the changing seasons of life. Our kids grew out…
DREAMING OF FRANCE
By Kimberly Onufrock-Bracco France has always been with me. When I look back it was basically staring at me from the wall although I hadn’t seen it. My first real memories were of our neighbors who immigrated after the war from France, an older couple Alice and Emile. Alice taught me French words and songs…
God Gave Me A Garden
By Bethany Peck The large wall clock we’d placed stylishly alongside oversized abstract paintings on our newly painted gray walls clicked in rhythm with my mind going through a solitary to-do list. How to get through this quiet day? Life was looking very different than recent years, and Saturday mornings were no longer filled with…
There is a Reason Why
By Mary Kurnik@marykurnikauthor When a dream is deep in one’s heart, there is a reason why. It won’t let go. Years can pass. Hardships, joy, accomplishments, relationships will ebb and flow, many hours of hard work realized, and the dream remains. Maybe over time it is buried deep inside; almost forgotten. Life demands so much…
From Crumbs to Comfort
By Kristine Amundrud @kamundrud While searching in my freezer, I came upon a bag of misshapen bread crusts–a plethora of broken and forgotten ends. An odd thing to keep, I could hear the wise voice of Meta, my Danish paternal grandma: “Waste not, want not.” An immigrant to Canada as a young teen and a…
Overcoming Chaos: A Kayaking Adventure with Noah Asher
The Adventures of Noah Asher By Noah Asher@TheNoahAsher Growing up in the south should mean that I’m used to bugs, animals of all kinds, dirt roads, and everything else ever mentioned in a country song by Luke Bryan. But I’m quite the opposite. I love adventure, but I also love air-conditioning. I love it so…