This Rugged JoyFull Home

After spending almost two decades homeschooling our children, entering this new post-homeschooling season is really such a welcome shift. There’s no need to rush anymore, since I’m really not meeting any deadlines here, and I can finally just savor all the little things happening around me. The idea of "living slow" felt like a cliché when I was younger—back when we had all the energy and passion to carve out the life we aspired to have as a young family of four. Fast forward to the here and now, it feels like there was a switch that suddenly turned ON. The idea of living slow actually makes my heart sing! While my husband and I are still in our early 50s and not quite at retirement age yet, our role as parents has noticeably shifted. Our adult children move forward to continue fulfilling their God-given callings—one is pursuing law school and the other is studying chemical engineering. They still need our financial support, of course, but the daily decision-making and academ...

An artist will always be influenced by their past, their cultural exposure, the travels of their youth, the mentors they were afforded, and the family in which they were raised. These have a great impact on one’s artistic inclination; they help to shape their artistic process, the way they view things, and how they translate the world in their creations. Whether it’s through music, fashion, fine arts, architecture, or any other art form, these influences always find their way to his creation being amplified in a fitting manner.   For instance, Paul McCartney of the Beatles wrote the timeless song “Yesterday” at just 21 years old. It resonated globally because the lyrics were remarkably profound and melancholy for someone so young. “Why she, had to go  I don't know, she wouldn't say I said, something wrong, I don't know For yesterday” People wondered where he got his inspiration for such a sad song considering his age. Sir Paul noted that pain and grief were the key element...