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Jen Russum

Dear Eisley (one year)

Dear Eisley (one year)

September 4, 2018

Dear Eisley, When you were born, my best friend said something to me, I'll never forget... She said, "Clearly, you are called to raise strong women who love the Lord." Micah and I both wanted a firstborn daughter so badly. God was gracious in giving us Zianne. When I was pregnant a second time, I thought "Maybe this one will be a boy? That would be fun, I guess." One girl plus one boy seemed so classic... even though I loved the thought of having sisters. When I was pregnant with you, I thought you'd be a boy because it seemed mathematically necessary. Surely, we would have at least one boy, though the idea of a son was beginning to seem distant and strange. When you were born and your dad announced you were a girl... it felt so right. Another female in this flock. Another little girl to raise into a God-fearing woman. My prayer for you and your sisters is always this: May you grow up to love, serve, and obey Jesus. That's it. Everything else can work itself out from there -- your dreams, your fears, your friends, your job, your spouse, your trials, your successes. If you love Jesus, you will spend your time serving him. If you love Jesus, you will obey his commands found in the Bible. And you will love Jesus when you realize that he first loved you. So this is my life's mission: to show you and your sisters the Savior that loved you first... May you see his kindness in me. May you see his grace in the grace I extend to you. May you see his sacrifice in my own small sacrifices. May you see his worthiness when you watch me read his word, sing, and pray. May you know he is mighty when I break down and call upon him to be my only strength. May you see his love in the way that I love you. -Mama ... Read more

Saturday Snippets

Saturday Snippets

August 4, 2018

God is not looking for debt-free virgins... I'm loving some of these rings by independent artists... Archiving these precious photo books for future birthdays and Mother's Day... A beautiful essay on female friendship... Just finished (and loved) this book (and I've heard this one is even better)... I'm not a huge music person but I am loving King's Kaleidoscope lately... Loving my kids' Native shoes this summer and this girly pair is on sale at Nordstrom... ... Read more

The Unexpected Birthday Party

The Unexpected Birthday Party

July 3, 2018

I love throwing birthday parties, but now that we have three children to celebrate each year, I've been feeling the need to pace myself. Especially since Talitha and Eisley's birthdays are so close together, I've been starting to wonder if it's appropriate to throw parties for them back-to-back, yet their birthdays are just a bit too far apart to do a joint celebration. I decided we'll start letting the girls have a party every other year, and on the off-year, they can choose an event or experience. For Talitha's third birthday, I told her I would take her to the children's museum. She loved the idea and in the weeks leading up to her birthday told everyone she wanted "some horses and some chocolate" for presents and she was going to the "museeeeeum" in her darling sing-song voice. However, we were going to be in Texas on Talitha's actual birthday, and my sister insisted on throwing a small party while our immediate family was together. We decided on a Wonder Woman theme (Talitha's obsession though she's never seen it or read anything about it), and Katie created an obstacle course so T could show off her athletic skills (which include "running super fast" and "jumping super high"). I literally did NOTHING for this party, except show up at my sister's front door at 5pm on a Saturday evening. Katie had her place decorated in blue, red, and yellow, made a cake, and had a slip and slide and wading pool set up in the backyard. Talitha loved it, and I loved it too because I have never felt so relaxed at one of my children's parties. Thanks, Aunt Wanda, for loving T (and me!) so well. ... Read more

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Hi. I’m Jen Russum and this blog is where I’ve been sharing narratives of God’s grace for more than a decade now. Some might say “blogs are dead” but I’m waiting for them to come back around like mom jeans and 90s flannel. I enjoy my coffee iced, my summers hot, and my dinner parties long with lots of laughter. I process all of life’s deepest, darkest, and happiest moments by writing essays in my head. When I have the time, some of these essays get typed up and shared here. I’ve always loved to write, and I hope my words bring you joy and encouragement.

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