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Denae Stevens

Denae Stevens is a homemaker with five children, and is still trying to figure out the roles that God is calling her to outside of motherhood. In addition to her love for reading and writing, she is also passionate about art and paints in her free time. She loves people, and can be known to overshare in the hope that others will be vulnerable and do the same. Denae lives in England with her husband and six children.
Prayer God’s Power and Blessing vs Stubborn Notions of Self-sufficiency - webp
Prayer: God’s Power and Blessing vs Stubborn Notions of Self-sufficiency
What comes to mind when you hear people talk about the power of prayer?

Maybe you’re all in–”Amen, sister!”

Maybe you internally roll your eyes a bit.

Or maybe you just kind of shrug your shoulders, indifferent. Prayer is akin to writing in a journal for you–beneficial, maybe even therapeutic, but your prayers are vague and with little expectation.

I fell into this last category until very recently. As background, I grew up with a mother who was a true prayer warrior, beating back the power of
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Sabbath A Day of Delight - webP
Sabbath: A Day of Delight
In my mind, for as long as I can remember, church attendance has been equal to keeping the Sabbath. My father was a pastor, so Sunday was a work day for him, and I don’t recall there being a separate time or day set apart for the Sabbath outside of the communal worship experience.

In adulthood, I too ended up working on Sundays, either as an organist or Sunday school teacher, while my husband would often be involved in leading Bible studies. It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that many of us realized how hard we were working every Sunday, and what a relief it was to finally be able to rest.

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Solitude as a Spiritual Discipline
Solitude as a Spiritual Discipline
There is a lovely little book of essays on all aspects of womanhood called A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Somewhere in the second chapter she calls women the “eternal nourishers of society” and talks about how women constantly feel the pull to serve everyone around them: their children, spouse, parents, and wider communities. Such constant service often leaves women completely drained as they pour themselves out over and over again for those around them. How do women replenish their energy? How do they fill their pitchers to the brim once again?

According to Anne, solitude is the key: “Women need solitude in order to find again the true
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God is Faithful Through Your Bad Decisions
God is Faithful Through Your Bad Decisions
I have decision fatigue.

It feels like I’ve spent the last decade or so trying to cleverly optimize my family’s existence for the least amount of money.

Where can we own our own house and send our kids to a good school and not be car dependent and have access to nature without being in the middle of the country while not having a huge mortgage and accompanying giant monthly payments hanging over our heads?

It’s a lot to ask out of life, especially when you have five children and value the ability to
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When You Realize You Can’t Control Your Children–and That’s OK
When You Realize You Can’t Control Your Children–And That’s OK
If I’m honest, I think the most surprising thing about watching my five children grow up is how little resemblance they actually bear to me. They look like me, and have a few of my personality quirks, but at the end of the day they are completely different people.

One example: I love nature. Nature brings me joy. Science says nature is good for you. I want my children to grow up valuing nature. On the other hand, I have two sons who are homebodies and have no desire to ever leave the house. They love Minecraft, and reading, and drawing–none of which involve the Great Outdoors.

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