Melinda’s Blog
If You Ask
Repeatedly our teenage sons said, “Caleb needs to quit the binky.” Perhaps they were right, but I wasn’t ready. Caleb, soon to be three, was our rough and tough, all boy, happy-go-lucky guy. He also held the record of being our first ever binky baby. So much so, that...
3 Steps To Living Un-Confined
It’s January. The holidays are over, company is gone, and my house needs a freshness. I pondered this in the store while considering the six-inch pots filled with vibrant green foliage in my hands. Two little life-giving fresh air producers. Once home, I looked over...
Sap for Our Soul
A dear friend of mine is from Norway, where her family owns a 500 year old homestead. The history of how the home was crafted gives me great pause. In anticipation of building a home that would survive great storms, my friend’s great, great, great grandfather...
Beth Turns 7
The reason I have long, thick, wavy, brown hair to brush and beautify each day is because God gave me a little girl! The reason I have a friend to visit with while I fold laundry, clean the bathroom, and water the flowers is because God gave me a little girl! The...
Beyond What I Could Ask or Think
“It was a bad bleed.” The doctor sitting in front of us was describing my 54 year old father, who had just suffered a stroke. “Because it was hours before they found him to get medical help, his prospect for surviving is 50-50. But, his ability to function, if he...
Streams of Life
Our journey begins, you and I, on a lazy raft drifting down stream. We bask in the sun of our young new love--just you and I. Storms come and we huddle together to stay warm. You offer me your coat and I sport the umbrella. We are courageous and the torrent is as...
Josiah and Anna Got Married
Yesterday was the wedding. Today I woke, later than normal, to a gentle rumble of thunder and the cooing of some turtledoves. These thoughts helped me reminisce the sweet moments of the wedding day. The sun shone bright. Friends gathered from afar. Radiant bride,...
Marriage Advice to my Daughter-in-Love: Find Out
When asked to give some marriage advice at my future Daughter-in-Love's bridal shower, this is what I shared. I love how eager Josiah and Anna are to ask for wisdom. Find out Find out what his favorites are. Favorite foods, favorite style of music, favorite type of...
Who is Anna?
Our families met when Anna was eleven years old. This brown-haired, bright-eyed bundle of sweetness always thought of others before herself. She is very Pontier in her adeptness to think of others. Anna and her siblings got along well with our crew, mostly in an older...
A Prayer for Our Young Men
Holding our sixth son in our arms, 13 years ago, my husband said, “What does it mean that God has given us all these boys?” “This world needs strong godly men.” I quipped, without thinking. Then we just sat there looking at each other, realizing what a monumental job...
Praying for Your Future Wife
Mother's Day 2015, a man in our church preached a message from Proverbs 31. He started by explaining how Jewish mamas often used acrostic poems to teach principles to their children. Whether this was an acrostic or not, my brain started racing. Yes, I need to put into...
Let Me Not Be Put to Shame
I have an intense desire to be close with my family. Though sometimes it’s hardly detectible. Going back to God’s word again and again for strength and encouragement is my lifeline. How does one bridge the gap from ages twenty-one down to four? Psalm 119:25 & 28...