Last week I had one of those days—the one where mid-way through you wonder where things went terribly awry and wish you could crawl back into hibernation and wake up and start again.

Spirituality, Motherhood, MarriageAlyssa BellJanuary 31, 2020me time, empowerment, motherhood, restComment

Choose Your Race, And Then You RUN

Throughout the movie, a running theme is “choose your race and then you run”. This has become sort of a mantra for me as I’m rounding the corner to begin the next lap.

EmpowermentJana SchmittJanuary 16, 2020passion, New Year's Resolutions, encouragement, motivation, run, race, fightComment

But Is It Beneficial?

I want to be fully alert to this life, sucking it dry, leaving nothing left. But in the process of all the “yeses” and checked boxes and travel itineraries, I need a groundedness…

Spirituality, EmpowermentAlyssa BellJanuary 10, 2020New Year's Resolutions, empowerment, home, love Comments

Welcome To My Home

As I shuffled around my house, frantically moving piles from one spot to the next so I could capture a decent shot, the mental checklist of disclaimers kept getting longer.

HomeAlyssa BellDecember 20, 2019Comment

My Dream for The Space We Share (Our 100th Blog!)

A year and a half ago, we began this blog in response to a tugging that had been pulling at my heart for several years.

HomeAlyssa BellDecember 13, 2019dream, women, women empowerment, blogger, 2020 goals, vision casting Comments

Forced To Slow Down

These past weeks have been a culmination of magic and monotony, community and loneliness. Having a baby has forced me to slow down in a season that would otherwise be taken over by a “more” mentality.

Home, MotherhoodAlyssa BellNovember 22, 2019 Comments

In The Crushing

My morning quiet time today takes me on a journey that leads me full circle to a place of hope and awe. I invite you along for the ride and pray it speaks to you personally.

SpiritualityJana SchmittNovember 8, 2019 Comments

Peace Like A River (My Birth Story)

On a chilly morning in March, fighting first trimester nausea and fatigue, I woke up to a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. Trying not to think much of it, I sat up and began my morning routine.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellNovember 1, 2019Comment

An Awakening

Hello to everyone with ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to be moved. My name is Joy. I am a wife, mother, and someone always being moved with compassion.

Empowerment, SpiritualityGuest AuthorOctober 26, 2019Comment

When The Rubber Meets The Road

This past year has been a lesson in patience and endurance. There are seasons in our lives when we just have to keep treading water in hopes that the life boat will come soon.

Spirituality, FosteringAmber WhiteOctober 19, 2019Comment

A Letter To My Firstborn Son

My sweet Cyrus,

You’ve watched in curiosity (and other times complete disinterest) as mommy’s tummy has expanded over the past few months.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellOctober 4, 2019Comment

The Satanic Lullaby

Certain questions weigh heavily on my mind these days. Questions like, why are so many Christians going through life feeling beaten down, anxious, depressed, exhausted, overwhelmed and powerless?

SpiritualityJana SchmittSeptember 27, 2019 Comments

Forget About Your Calling

If you had asked me what I wanted to be as a little girl, I would have told you decisively and consecutively that I wanted to be a runner, a singer, and an artist.

EmpowermentAlyssa BellSeptember 6, 2019calling, Christianity, The Great Commission, passion, dreamsComment

Holding On and Letting Go

When seasons in our lives are changing, we find ourselves at a crossroad. Do I go left or right? Is one heavily trodden, and the other overgrown by little use?

Motherhood, FosteringAmber WhiteAugust 16, 2019Comment

The Call of Love

Let’s be honest, Jesus asks us to do scary things. Uncomfortable things. Things that we actually work really hard in our life to avoid.

Spirituality, TravelGuest AuthorAugust 2, 2019Comment

A Little Dose of Yellow

So many of my childhood summer memories are painted in golden hues. Catching fireflies, campfires, the sun setting behind my grandparents’ lake house, the bright yellow shag carpet in our “midcentury modern” living room.

HomeJana SchmittJuly 12, 2019yellow, beauty, nature, interior design, decorating, happy Comments

Broken Pieces Make a Whole

Phone calls at 3 AM rarely bode well. My sister called me at that time when they were driving through Texas on the way to their vacation. My nephew, Whittan, had 3 seizures and

Spirituality, FosteringAmber WhiteJune 28, 2019fostering, foster care, foster mom, hardship, broken, beach, vacation, family, motherhoodComment

25 Life-Lessons I’ve Learned from my Mom

In honor of my mom’s birthday this week, I thought it would only be fitting to share some of the wisdom I’ve collected from her over the years.

Empowerment, MotherhoodAlyssa BellJune 21, 2019 Comments

Making These Years Count

I’ll be turning 57 in a few days. Sounds dangerously close to 60. What scares me about this is not so much the getting older. It’s the ever-lingering question, am I doing enough?

Spirituality, EmpowermentJana SchmittJune 14, 2019Comment

To Be A Life-Giving Woman

I’m sorry. I just have too much on my plate right now. How many times have I heard (or spoken) those words recently? It’s the mantra of the American woman

EmpowermentJana SchmittMay 24, 2019rest, relaxation, life-giver, women, faithComment