Reflection. It’s good for the soul to take time and just breathe. Life has a way of speeding by us so quickly that, in many ways, it’s a blur. Especially since becoming a mom, I feel like the days often bleed one into the other, and the next thing I know, they’ve all disappeared. So,
By Ashley McIlwain As I get older, I’m realizing that life seems to only get busier and busier. The list of to dos grows longer and longer no matter how many things I cross off. Like a ball of snow down a steep mountain, the pressures of life grow bigger and bigger while gaining momentum,
By Ashley McIlwain Something that many of us don’t realize is that the decisions we make linger long beyond when they are made. This is a fact and realization I wish I’d come to fully discover and appreciate much sooner in my life because it would have saved me a lot of heartache. At the
By Ashley McIlwain My sister, her daughter, and husband came to stay with us over Labor Day weekend. Together, we laughed, played, and made memories along the way. It was so much fun being together. One of the best parts though was having my 3 and ½ year old niece there. Seeing the world through
By Ashley McIlwain As human beings we gravitate toward routine. Toward comfort. We like to be in control, and we like to have things figured out. Most of us avoid change like the plague and find safety within the boundaries of regular and familiar. It’s not that this is a bad thing. Routine creates efficiency.
By Ashley McIlwain In my experience, life is an adventure. Granted, I haven’t always viewed it that way. Those all-time lows and moments of despair hardly feel like just a fun thrill ride that I should wave my arms in the air for, although the screaming part is on par. In fact, those moments usually
By Ashley McIlwain I cannot control life. My circumstances, the good and bad, my relationships, outcomes, the extent of my success – these are all things that are out of my control. Despite my best efforts, daily, I realize just how limited I really am. While frustrating, confusing, and sometimes angering, I find myself coming
By Ashley McIlwain Everyone is talking about the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. The nation was left in shock as we witnessed a display of pure horror and evil. A community was left stunned and brokenhearted as their members were left picking up the pieces in the moments following their worst nightmare. Parents have found
By Ashley McIlwain Thanksgiving has just passed, and Christmas is approaching. It’s the most wonderful time of year with so much to be thankful for and celebrate. But sometimes, it can be stressful, frustrating, and overwhelming too. With all of the parties, packages, problems to solve, and places to be, there are times when the
By Rob Thorpe I married the woman of my dreams, and she will make me happy. Happiness is the goal of marriage, right? One of the lies that undermines and destroys marriages is a lie we have all heard, and many have believed. God wants me to be happy, and so He brought me together with
