One of the first times we hung out she whipped up stacks of pancakes, so the kids and I could stay for supper since my husband was away on a backcountry trip.

Lindsay’s casual hospitality was refreshing and I learned a lot about her big heart, as I asked questions about their family’s fostering and adopting story.

Today you get to eavesdrop on some of the questions I asked at our playdates and glean some great tips if you are on the journey of fostering and adopting, or desire to support a family on this journey.

With our curbside garages and cavernous homes, high fenced backyards, and tiny bare front lawns, it is easy to understand why we struggle with the simple command of Jesus:

“Love your neighbour.”

Our culture is simply not well set up for it.

We subconsciously embrace an isolationist castle mentality, not only mentally, but in the physical design of our neighborhoods and homes.

For those of you who take your deepest breaths in nature and love getting your hands in the soil in the spring, I am right there with you!

This is such a hopeful time of year as we witness the seasons change and feel the sun’s warmth.

Currently, a large portion of my time is devoted to seeds. Purchasing seeds, sowing seeds indoors to get a head start on the season and caring for seedlings. I will always be amazed at the capacity held within a tiny seed and marvel at the miracle of a seed transforming into nourishing food or beautiful flowers.

How imaginatively creative is our God who designed life to grow from a seed!?

Have you heard the one about the mom who can’t sleep and runs on coffee before noon and wine after noon? Well, it’s not funny to me. Far too many mothers are chronically stressed and sleep-deprived. I’ve had enough. These mothers deserve support, not to be left to suffer alone.

If you’re a mom who wants to drink coffee and wine daily—absolutely no judgment here. However, you should not feel like you must fuel with caffeine and alcohol just to get by.

Moms deserve to sleep well, to enjoy life, not suffer through it.

Before Dressember, I was extremely unaware of the global state of slavery and human trafficking. I was oblivious to the 40 million people who were being enslaved through sex trafficking, bonded labour, slave labour, forced marriage among many other types of slavery. I had no idea that out of that 40 million people, one-quarter of those were children or that the average age of being manipulated in sex trafficking is between 12 and 14 years of age.