About

Hi. I’m Jenn. Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.

When I was in high school and college, I thought I would change the world. I would do big things. Become a missionary, perhaps. Start a non-profit. Develop some new product or idea that would save lives. I bought the message being sold in youth groups and Christian schools at the time: that we were made for more than ordinary lives.

But then … well, then life happened.

I met a boy who became a man who asked me to be his wife, and I said yes. We settled in his hometown, working regular engineering jobs, building a home and a life together. Our family grew: after a failed adoption* in 2013, I gave birth to Katie in the spring of 2014, and I left my job to care for her. She was joined by Abby in the summer of 2016 and Miles in early 2019.

Our lives were – and still are – ordinary.

I spend my days doing small things. Folding laundry. Reading picture books. Settling disputes. Preparing meals. Welcoming friends.

But I’m learning, ever-so-slowly, in the midst of my ordinary life, that being faithful in the small things is where change happens. That beauty is waiting in the normal everyday, if I only am present enough to see it.

And so this blog is a reminder to choose this moment, instead of wallowing in the past or dreaming of the future. It is a reminder to choose, this moment, Whom I will serve, and to live my life accordingly. It is my own small rallying cry, my declaration that God is found in the ordinary, that I can make a difference right here in my normal life.

*A bit more about that failed adoption: we brought a newborn girl home from the hospital when she was only a few days old with every intention of raising her as our daughter. After five months with us, she returned to her biological family. One month later, we learned I was pregnant with Katie. This blog was born in the aftermath of that summer, and its early posts reflect the grief and confusion and doubt I felt as I wrestled with all that had happened.

2 response to "About"

  1. By: Karen Wells Posted: April 18, 2020

    I read your Easter reflection on CEM’s website. I’m so touched. Thank you.

    • By: Jenn Posted: April 18, 2020

      Thank you, Karen. I’m so glad it meant something to you.

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