Pax Revisited

Candle, notebook, and pen on wooden tray.

I realized that I was, in fact, trying to protect my children. This is a natural response, and it is largely our responsibility to do so. But it’s also our responsibility to equip our children, especially as they get older.

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Mina and Mattie: Examples of Femininity

Bookshelf with books, plant, and religious icon.

I am due with a new little one any day now (prayers appreciated!), and the very clear reality of labor and birth is looming over me pretty much non-stop. While I must admit that I am battling some fear, I am also incredibly aware of my posture in front of this reality. This baby is coming, and only I can walk the road before me. It is a task that I have been given, and I must either grudgingly accept or gratefully receive. Both of these options are open to me, but it seems that there is one that offers more freedom. Freedom for me is in the active surrender of saying yes. 

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Seeking to See the Gift

Book surrounded by potted plants on windowsill.

“Everything is gift.” The theme of last year’s Well-Read Mom conference for the Year of the Giver seemed perfect. The idea sounds so beautiful. And yet still, I sometimes wonder, is everything a gift?

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Home: A Reflection on Seeking Amid Family and Motherhood

Plant, books, and candle on wooden surface.

Listening to my husband read aloud “Two Old Men” to me and our children was one of my sweetest memories of 2022. And this introduction to Tolstoy led me to read Anna Karenina, my favorite book of 2023. This story of two old men, with all its beautiful lessons about pilgrimage, true worship, hospitality, and corporal works of mercy, seemed to me a story about motherhood and being a stay-at-home mom.

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Wonder Makes Us More Human—and More Fun!

Book display with candle and vase.

Women who live with wonder have a unique ability to impact their surroundings; they are the ones who create an environment in which people can thrive. Children are good at reminding us to see. Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s Little Prince teaches the narrator, “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

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Grateful for the Journey

Group of people walking on rural road.

As we enter into this holiday season, Well-Read Mom invites you to pause with us and reflect in gratitude on the many ways our Well-Read Mom family has been a blessing. It is our sincere hope that as we embark on this Advent journey you may enter into the seasonal preparations as a pilgrimage—seeking an intentional journey to the manger. It is our prayer that you may reclaim the busyness of the holiday season as a time of preparation and peace which deepens your connections with family, friends, and the true reason for the season. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Dracula and the Sacredness of Marriage

Books with plants on wooden surface.

I love reading aloud to my husband. We have enjoyed this activity ever since we were dating, but for the past few years we’ve made it an intentional habit. As soon as the booklist was released for this year, I knew that Dracula would be our next readaloud.

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To Be Charis in a World of Victims

Charis's crate with a book and a mug.

Charis’s lack of a crisis of faith and her lack of acceptance of victimhood as her identity struck me. In a world where victimhood seems to be a surefire way to gain social status, what a refreshing and inspiring tale!

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