Author: jywatkins
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Our First Conversation
In August, a slimy, wiggling baby was placed on my chest as my husband stood beside me, a look of wonder and pride in his eyes. I had labored for seven hours — not that long for a first-time mom — but then, all of a sudden, here he was, our baby, alive in the…
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Marriage: An Exercise in Care
Chad and I have been married for nine years. Those nine years have been marked by different events and milestones, every year bringing something new. I hope it is always like that: that our marriage is an adventure that continually requires faith and commitment and growth. Some years, we started new jobs or new businesses;…
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Preparations
We spread the old blanket across the floor and began unpacking heavy pieces from the cardboard boxes. Chad retrieved the necessary tools: a hammer, screwdriver, and power drill. I grabbed the instructions and started pulling out the first pieces of hardware from the small clear plastic bag. We were already tired but had two bed…
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The Red Couch: Dangerous Territory Introduction
I’m over at SheLoves Magazine today, writing for the Red Couch Book Club. This month, we’re reading Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World by Amy Peterson. Join us! The appalled look on their faces told me this idea was unwelcome. To my non-Christian friends, the mere mention of “missionaries” conjured images of vulnerable…
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Without Words
I’ve been praying for you. Allow me to be honest for a moment. That’s not always a phrase I take well. I’ve heard it too many times, said in condescension or pity or self-righteousness. It’s a phrase people have used when they don’t know what else to say about my doubts and questions, about my…
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What to Tell Our Girls: Am I Fat?
In a recent episode of the NBC show This Is Us, pre-teen daughter, Kate, asks her dad, “Am I fat?” This question appeared in teasers for the episode before it aired and my husband Chad and I talked about it before viewing the full show. What’s the right answer? What if our future children ask…
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Look for the Light
I finished my last paper for the semester at 11 p.m. Monday night, one week before Christmas. It was due at midnight, and it was my fourth and final assignment from this long fall semester. This was my largest credit load yet, with three classes and my fellowship. Graduate school has been very rewarding —…
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The Building
The piece of wood is way too long — too long for my project and too long for me to manage under the sharp blade of a machine. Even if I could maneuver it over to the table saw, there is no way I can hold it up flat as it slides along the rotating…
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October
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” L.M. Montgomery The air finally has a nip in it. It feels like fall, like October, finally not that we’re near the end of it. October is time for sweaters and boots and scarves. I love layering up my clothes to keep cozy.…
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Marriage: An Exercise in Endurance
This past year has tried to hold so much that it’s bursting at the seams. This, our eighth year, has been about schedules and details and lists and to-dos. It’s been many months of busy weekends and busier weeks, traveling close to home and far away, completing one task just to have ten more waiting in the…
jamie y. watkins 