Christ, Coffee, and Cornfields

  Let's start with a true story:   Once upon a time, a young girl was told by her parents that she should start to pray for her future husband. They told her that if she was called to marriage, it was important that she start praying for him now because Satan hates marriage. And so, for many years the girl prayed. She prayed that her future husband would follow the Lord, that he would pursue holiness, and that their marriage would be strong and centered on God. During that time, she also started to write letters to him. She didn't know whether or not he even existed, but those letters were an act of faith that God had someone He was preparing for her. Through all of the schoolgirl crushes, loneliness, and failed relationships, she prayed.   And then, one day, he came along. She continued to pray all through their courtship. Now, though, she had a face to the man she'd had on her heart for so long. Soon, they were happily married.  The girl, now a woman, still...

  Let me preface this piece by saying that I do not in any way, shape, or form condone the shootings that have recently taken place. There is no reason that anyone should kill a bunch of innocent people in a Walmart or a concert or a popular spot downtown or anywhere. None of that is okay. Killing or raping or stealing from people is not okay. Do you know what else isn't okay, though? Blaming the wrong thing. Scapegoating. Pushing an agenda.   But that is exactly what's happening. There is so much "his fault her fault, guns are bad, white supremacy, leaders do nothing" going on that very few people are seeing the situation for what it actually is. Yes, past decisions affect what will happen in the future. That's how it is with everything. Certain politicians don't respond to things like this in the most gracious fashion. Twitter sucks. Many people jump into conversations armed only with emotions, not facts. Families and friendships can fall apart because o...

  My husband and I have been practicing NFP/cycle tracking/noncontraception within our marriage for over a year and a half now. It's crazy that we've been married for that long! Many of you know that I began tracking my cycle in high school, so it has been part of my life for the better half of a decade. It gives me a different perspective than many wives who only started because it was advertised as a pregnancy regulator, when in reality it is so much more.   In honor of NFP Awareness Week, I'm doing a piece with input from Jordan based on typical questions and ones that people have asked us. Side note: NFP, charting, and tracking are going to be used interchangeably in this article. A generalized definition is: documenting a woman's menstrual cycle using biological markers for the purpose of gynecological health, avoiding/achieving pregnancy, and contributing to the overall wellbeing of the woman and of a marriage by fostering an atmosphere of openness, communicat...

  We've all heard the saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." And most of us have learned by now that, most often, that's not the case. I think females are especially prone to this type of hurt because we are such deep feelers. This is a beautiful aspect of feminine nature, but it can make us particularly vulnerable not only to pain but to sin, as well.   Growing up, the friends I trusted the most were male. I gravitated toward them because there seemed to be significantly less drama in that arena compared to groups of girls my age. But we all need true friends of our same gender, so I also hung around girls. However, I really want to draw attention to the fact that it is extremely important to have same sex friends that we can share our hearts with, because women can never really understand the life of a man, and vice versa. Jordan knows me better than anyone, but he doesn't understand what challenges and joys arise from wom...

  If I have learned about trust from anyone, it's from my dad. He is a full time farmer, full time mechanic, and full time husband and father. Overarching all of these is the rock solid faith he has in the Lord, no matter how hopeless things may seem. I remember years of looking out on scorched fields, and others like this one where they're mostly underwater, wondering how anyone could think it would all turn out okay. But my dad's trust in God has never wavered. Even with farming prices in the toilet for the past 10 years, I've never once seen him express worry of any sort.   He knows that God has it all under control, even when we don't. Especially when we don't.   The life of a farmer is tough. You can do everything right preparing for an animal to give birth, but the mama might still die. The planting season may go great, and you might quietly think that this is the year for a bumper crop, but in August a hail storm comes along and wipes out all of your ...

  A few weeks ago, I posed a question to my readers asking what I should write about. I got some really good answers! This is my first "request" post. If I could write a letter to my 16 year old self, what would I say? What have the past 5 years taught me; how has my life been different than I expected? Although my maturity level has always been higher than my respective age, I still went through many of the same experiences of a typical high schooler. Puberty doesn't discriminate, after all, nor does drama.   Dear 16 year old me,   I know how alone you are feeling right now, how it feels like there is no guy who will ever want to marry you. How you think your acne will never clear up or that you will never be able to tame the frizz and curls on your head. A school this size leaves slim pickings for true, lifelong friends who want to share their hearts with you, and trust them with yours. All the hours of making awesome music in the band and choir rooms will come to a...

  I've had many people ask me what they can do or how they should approach me and this topic. I really appreciate that, because reaching out shows love. **A little disclaimer: every person is different, so my pointers may not be applicable to every person at every time. User discretion is advised.** I've compiled a list of some do's and don't's, but it's by no means the most thorough list. It has been organized to where each set of do's and don't's are complements of each other. However, the best thing to do for someone struggling with infertility is to just ask them how to approach things. Do ...inform them of your pregnancy one on one and invite them to your celebrations. Text or phone call is probably best when breaking the news, if you're able. Infertile couples still love you and your baby! They want to celebrate with you. Don't ...complain about your pregnancy symptoms to them. It's like getting punched in the gut. Do ...share...