As a mom of four kids, 6 and under, I’m well acquainted with waiting, especially during the winter season when the 2 year old and 4 year old decide to exercise their independence.

I have a love/hate relationship with wintertime. Prior to having children, I loved winter. The coziness of a warm fire and a glass of cocoa set against the backdrop of a shimmering frost covered countryside was where it was at for me.

After having children, winter became a little less idyllic — a whole lot of time spent indoors, kids going crazy, momma trying desperately to keep small people healthy and sane, and a lot of waiting.

My yard has been home to several columnar aspen trees that unfortunately haven't weathered the storms– some nature and some lack of nurture. I was relieved that we were able to replace them for free, initially thinking, no harm done. But then I noticed my neighbor's same trees, planted around the same time as our first failed attempt. Only her trees were taller, fuller, and stronger because of the years the roots had been getting established. Replacing the trees didn't mean reproducing the growth that only happens over time. I'm thrilled to introduce you to my friend Jessie Taillon to share a bit of everyday truth about what she's learned from trees about what we can do through life's storms. 

Have you ever experienced hanger—irritability as a result of hunger? The physical and emotional emptiness leaves us vulnerable to reach for the quick fix— chips, crackers, fries, or cookies. They offer temporary satisfaction at best, and a junk food hangover at worst, and over time, this pattern —anything to quickly satisfy this craving, would compromise physical health.

But as I’m sure you know, a quick fix never satisfies the way a nourishing meal does.

I grew up thinking that God’s design for sex and relationships could be summarized in a few do’s and don’ts. As long as I saved sex for marriage, I could check the box of keeping His way.