Inherently, there is something striking with putting full weight behind domesticity and natural wellness. Likewise, training for a marathon with a strict schedule and diet in view is pleasing. Composing an entire orchestra into an emotional symphony, telling of the rise and fall of an empire is gorgeous. However—there is something unsightly with making any of these into your identity because then it becomes about you and not about pleasing the Lord or those you serve.

The more I think through identity and existence and my own wasteful suns of self-creation or adaptation or self-fulfillment, the more I see truth behind mortal limitations. Western culture loves nothing more than our purchase of personal satisfaction through individualism. But where the Christian is different is that we are to kill the individual rather than create it (John 12).

We set out on our 2-week, 6,000-mile, 80+ hours of driving road trip with our daughters to experience these Great American highlights. We still recount these things with them as good gifts from God, not for utilitarian purposes but to be enjoyed in real time as we draw nearer to the Creator out of love, glory, gratitude, and desire. And here lies the tension that exists between man and nature: A vast majority of Christians may feel closer to God whilst in nature, but the absolute truth is that we are even closer to God when we are in the presence of another soul—of an immortal. Everything we saw and captured on film is good—but as we spent 14 days traveling in 89 cubic feet of space, we were in the presence of the very good.

My husband is neither idle nor restless. He is neither aimless nor haphazard. He is intentional, thoughtful, and eager to honor our LORD with whatever he is handed. None of these are hard to conjure up or see when you get to know him for even a few moments. But they have been increasingly easier to witness since moving to the farm.

It is important to define words biblically and execute those words with precision. Platforms like Facebook have redefined “friend” for us all, and its usage is wide and ubiquitous, typically aimless. I believe this has attributed to the notion of “quantity over quality.”

All in all, our daily and weekly celebrations will mark us as a people of joy—and if we are wanting to be holy, to be set apart, then be joyful, not exhausted.

The majority of our daily parenting choices come from personal preferences of what works best for our family dynamic. . . but it’s easy to mistake requirements from preferences. Specifically, on schooling.

"Ye must ask, if the risen body even of appetite is as grand a horse as ye saw, what would the risen body of maternal love or friendship be?” 

We are selling our house, moving into an RV, paying off debt, and homeschooling our kids. . .