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life{in}grace

live with more presence, passion, & purpose

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So, the little girls amused themselves by making real “stick” people…and by that, I mean paper dolls attached to “sticks”.  They named them “little sister” and “big sister”.   I suggested  “thing one” and “thing two”  but I lost.    They also can’t stop talking about the new American Girl moving that opens this Wed.  July 2nd  about the story “Kit”.   I bought that doll for Caiti when she was 9, I think.   I have such fond memories of  lying in her bed with her reading about Kit.  Maybe she will join the little girls and I for the movie.  It’s fun to see Emme and Elea now going through the same stages…..they just came to ask me to bake Kit a birthday cake.    It’s apparently her birthday today.   Who knew?
Steve chose “The Great Divorce” as his read for the day  which is a masterpiece by C.S. Lewis about the great divorce or chasm between heaven and hell.   To wet your appetite,   “…life is not like a river but a tree.   It does not move toward unity but away from it and the creatures grow further apart as they increase in perfection.   Good, as it ripens, becomes continually more different not only from evil but from other good.”    Great read,  one of my favorites.   Then I haphazardly picked up Craig Parton’s book(that brother Jeff gave us, I think) and started perusing.   Before I knew it I was hooked and in about 3 hours I  finished it.    It, also, is a great read.   And there is something marvelous about finishing a book.   I have several started right now….Pilgrims’s Progress,  Don Quixote,  Thomas a’ Kempis,  ad lib ad nauseum,   and I am bleeding from the eyes from all the curriculum reading……so to actually start and finish a book in one evening….now that is closure.   The literary equivalent of running a 10K and the antithesis of having 10 half finished books staring at you  on your nightstand,  which is my MO.   
I pondered reorganizing the laundry room which looks like this when you read a whole book in one day.   But I didn’t.

  I turned my attention to the soon-to-be schoolroom which was recently painted(floor, walls, and trim) by my mom, myself, my son and Andrew.   Yep,  this is them “working”.   Take careful notice of the pink bedazzled cowgirl hat and the colorful, gardening/hiking boots.  These are your tax dollars at work(they both attend the local public school).   So,  I…….

https://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2008/06/12/

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cleaned the playroom…aka garage…..soon to be schoolroom.     This is the “before” picture and the room was actually much worse than this picture portrays.   The “after” picture will be forthcoming when the new bookshelves are in.

So,  there it is….just another day of reading and playing and organizing in anticipation of  Issues’ resurrection and the release of the American girl movie “Kit”.   

https://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2008/06/11/

Meet Edie

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Y’all! Come on in!

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I’m Edie and I’m honored to have you visiting my online home.  I am a Christian writer and the author of a not-yet-finished book to be published by Tyndale next year, called Coming Home—a spiritual memoir of redemption.  I write here to remind you that you are loved and to inspire and encourage you  to live with intention, love with passion, and serve your people well.   It was nearly six years ago that I started this blog and  I do not take for granted the privilege to write here.  I used to have a job that required me to actually get dressed and leave the house in the mornings but most days now you’ll find me  at home, teaching and raising children, cooking up a storm,  getting lost in classic books, and learning to enjoy the beauty of ordinary days.     I’m obsessed with art and design, all things Texas, banjo music, cowboy boots, colorful, quirky home decor, New Year’s resolutions and Southern-ness.

Six years ago, I decided to give up my career as a family practice physician to stay home full time with my family.

I’m not gonna lie.  It ain’t been easy.  The next year, I began homeschooling my girls.   Whoa, Nelly.

There were days I wasn’t sure I’d make it.

The good news is,  I firmly believe in inspiring spaces, so we school in this workroom/craft room/laundry room.

It’s a pretty great place to spend hours on end, even when the days get long and hard.

In short order, this southern belle became a blogger, a homeschooler, a Lutheran, and a self-proclaimed goddess of the domestic arts.   I taught myself to cook, to sew, to craft, and am trying to learn how to garden.  There just never seems to be enough hours in the day to do it all but I don’t go down without a fight!

I love teaching my girls to be keepers at home.    They made this pom-pom wreath recently and are learning to be industrious little women.

I am humbled and grateful to be right where I am doing just what I’m doing, with all its trials and joys.

I look for the divine among the mundane and cherish the sacred grace moments that spring up through the stony ground of everyday living. I view my vocation as a wife and mother as nothing short of miraculous—-that God would entrust His beautiful created life to me is an honor of which I am not worthy.
 We are one blessed, blended family!
I am making this journey—this amazing life—with my husband of fourteen years, who continually inspires me, who never ceases to ‘raise the bar’ to deeper levels of love and understanding. And who always grabs the book I was just about to read next.  Marriage is so hard sometimes, but I’m so thankful to walk this road together with someone who loves us so deeply he literally  walked through fire to save us.
(I know what you’re thinking….he’s so darn cute. Yes, yes he is!)
We are truly living LIFE-IN-GRACE— a dream that we do not deserve.

So, welcome to my online home. I am thankful that you have come. I hope you will find here some inspiration and encouragement for your own journey.
Stay awhile and I’ll make some coffee and we’ll sit and chat in my favorite room of the house, the screened in porch.
An introduction wouldn’t be complete without telling you about December of 2010.
Our lives drastically changed, 3 days before Christmas, when we lost everything but a turquoise chair in a devastating  house fire.

I thought my broken heart would never mend.  Tragedy changes us and if we are willing to see it, God will show us that His grace covers it all.
We learned to say thank you for the winter grace.
(there are links on the sidebar to various rooms in the house!)
And I almost forgot to tell you that BETTER HOMES and GARDENS shot our house in September and will featuring our rebuild story in the January 2013 issue.
I nearly died when we first found out they were gonna run the story.   I wrote about the experience here and here.
I haven’t seen the article yet but I’ll be the one squealing at the check out line at Ingles.  I’m real subtle like that.
You can sift through six years of archives, if you dare!
If you’d like a particularly long laundry list of stuff about me, which consequently is about as exciting as doing your laundry, click here, and here, and  here.
If you’d like you’d like to read a few posts that would give you the ‘essence’ of lifeingrace, visit here or here or here.
If you’ve always wondered about finding your calling in life or whether what you do everyday matters, it happens to be one of my favorite topics.
 
And in case you get any crazy ideas that our life must be wonderful and gracious all the time, let me clue you in to a little tidbit. This is a blog—-a online journal, if you will, of our lives and my thoughts. This is not reality. My house gets dirty and disorganized, my children scream and fight, the dogs run through the house soakin’ wet and chew all my outdoor cushions; and I am convinced, at times, that my showering schedule is a little lax. We are an ordinary family plagued with the same stresses and messes that you are.
We are trusting God to restore the years—–the years the locusts have eaten;  the mess we’ve made with the gifts he’s given us—the disgraceful way we’ve trampled on his goodness time and time again. He makes all things new.
For the sake of Christ, alone.
I leave you with these words that sat on my kitchen counter for years.
I am so glad that you have come.
I will pour out everything inside me so that you may leave
this table satisfied and fortified.
Blessings on your eyes.
Blessings on your children.
Blessings on the ground beneath you.
My heart is a ladle of sweet water, brimming over.
The Red Tent, Anita Diamanti
May God bless you with every good and perfect gift.

Our prayers soon to be answered….

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It’s almost here,  the re-debut of Issues, Etc.   For those of you who don’t know,  this is the smartest, most confessional and wittiest christian radio around.   We have posted the link to the website here on our blog  (to your right, because apparently you must be smarter than us or 15 to figure out how to link it into the blog)  for your listening pleasure.   Issues was taken off the air about 3 months ago (March 18th on Tuesday of Holy Week to be exact) for “business and programmic” reasons (aka ….it was too smart and confessional and witty)  and we have been dreaming  of it’s return since that dark March afternoon.   The host,  Todd Wilken,  is so gifted at his vocation and we have sincerely grieved this period of “silence”.   We also love listening to the old archived shows,  especially when Todd and Jeff (the show’s producer) banter back and forth,  poking at each other ,  making us laugh out loud.   So forgive us for our enthusiasm (Steve and Emme are praying that everything goes well Monday) but there will be a party in the Wadsworth house in 2 days 3 hours, 11 minutes, 42 seconds and counting.
The only quandry we find ourselves in is, “Should we listen to it live, but then what will we do on Tuesday for work out music on the ipod?”    I think this is what Steve is pondering this very moment as he longingly stares at the Issues web site.   Think we’re crazy?   We haven’t been this excited since the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson.   Check it out for yourself….you’ll see.
Our girls and Scooter (who I ran over with my politically incorrect 2 ton ford excursion this week—simmer down,  it was an accident and he didn’t even have a broken bone)  are excited too.   Can’t ya tell?

PR and Advertising

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Life{in}grace is a unique online community that has grown organically over the past four years.  I  have made a major decision to {finally}  begin thoughtfully and carefully accepting advertisers that fit well with my vision and  brand.  I am so thankful for faithful and engaged readers that have been such a wealth of encouragement and inspiration and I’d love to connect them with family friendly brands, companies and small businesses that offer the best in online products and customer service.

My online community is composed of mostly women who are informed and smart consumers and who are passionate about all the things that occupy the time and resources of moms  such as cooking, home decorating, crafting,  family life and parenting.  The relationships I’ve nurtured in this space are important to me and  I don’t take the trust and loyalty of my readers for granted,  which is why I will continue to be fiercely committed to quality original content and personal integrity and honesty.

I’m seeking just the right ‘fit’ and am prepared to be patient as I seek to work with brands that are consistent with my message and passion.

Over the past year, I have on average 300,000 page views per month and over 10,000 subscribers.

I have sidebar space available  (for ads 300X199) just  below the fold  for 30 and 90 day contracts at $75 and $200 respectively and for smaller ads (125×125) $50 and $100 for 30 and 90 day contracts. Larger ads can be negotiated.

I also am open to doing a very limited amount of sponsored posts at  $300 each.

Feel free to email me with any questions and I look forward to working with you.

On Homeschooling…..

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Some of you have heard my vicious rumor so let me put enquiring minds to rest.   Yes,  I am planning to homeschool Emme and Elea next year.   There,  I said it.  I feel empowered to make it public now that I’ve gotten overwhelming support from my husband and my mother.   I’ve secretly always wanted to do this and with my daily phone call from school about Emme’s “tummy ache” along with her absolute lying on the ground and begging me to do it…..I have to say that I am convinced that this is one of those must-do’s in my life.   You know those lists of 100 hundred things you must do before you die?   Yeah,  well for some reason homeschooling is on my list.    Here’s what I know so far….

  • I will use a classical model-a blend of Charlotte Mason and  Susan Wise Bauer.     Their books are must reads for all moms interested in education.   They both emphasize using great classical  books as the basis of education and history as the central theme for organizing learning.
  • We will follow a four day curriculum and use Fridays to do art, music, science, library visits, etc.     Oh,  and yoga–at least for me.
  • Books, which had already sort of overtaken our living room, are now everywhere.   Trip to Ikea is planned next week to purchase book shelves.
  •  Our year will be centered on ancient times through the fall of Rome.   The history lessons,   literature choices,  art projects etc will all be from that era.   Steve kinda wants to stay for history class!  
  • I get these looks from Emme randomly and I feel confident that  what she is thinking is “Are you suuure you can do this?”
  • I think I’ve read 20 books this week— I had no idea how much preparation was involved.
  • If I’m a total flop or completely lose my sanity,  are any of you available to tutor my children or drive me to the nearest mental hospital?
  • My playroom is slowly but surely being morphed into a school room.   I don’t think the neighborhood kids like this idea very much.   Pictures of  this transformation will be forthcoming.