STAY, in the Breath

letters from a writer & photographer's journey

The Truth About the Day

Yeah, it’s true. I laughed out my nose when the three year old lunged across the table to steal food from his older brother’s plate deft like a praying mantis after it’s cricket. Seriously—the way he moved was impressive and spontaneous and I could NOT help it.   Yeah, it’s true, I sighed at first when: 8 year old: “mommy.” me: “just a minute, I’m in the middle of a.. Read More

To Dwell: A Prayer

“The essence of a thing is always elusive, hidden. The dream of art and prayer is to come nearer, even to slip through to dwell for awhile…” ~ John O’Donohue, Beauty the Invisible Embrace

Authenticity: a Prayer

Being authentic doesn’t mean just being real about the struggle, it’s seeing beyond the struggle to what is most real. Welcome to Wednesday—I’m sure it’s already been a big week for us all. Feeling exhausted before the day even began, here’s my heart prayer this morning: I desperately want to live in the awareness of the now and the beautiful strength You can bring to it. I don’t want to.. Read More

Learning to Lean

Many have asked me, “How did you write a book while homeschooling six kids?!”. And many days when I ask myself the same, I come up with this: How do I describe the way I wrestled for it? I poured out my tears and then discovered how He caught them in His bottle and named each one “purpose” and “truth” or “lie” with the tenderest of compassion. All the while.. Read More

Learning to Float

Becoming an author…or a mother (in every new or repeated season of it)…growing, into anything really…it comes with tension. {insert 3 year old war cry for independence here} Atleast that’s what it sounds like at my house. Or, if I dig down deeper I’d tell you it looks like fear, worry and doubts, ugly cries that threaten breath, and bursts of laughter too far in between. The tension between “push”.. Read More