May 18, 2023

Through (Not Out of) the Fire

May 18, 2023/ Jennifer Blair

Our sweet little Elias broke his collarbone last week. It was pretty rough to see him so pitiful and hurting. After his accident he wasn’t very responsive, which was so scary for me to experience so soon after Jonathan’s emergency surgery and ICU stay. At the ER I watched him being scanned by the same machines that had just scanned my husband and hooked up to heart rate and oxygen monitors, all of which felt eerily similar to what I’d just been though. As I sat in the ER room waiting for answers about our son, I wondered why God would allow this to happen as I was just finding healing from nearly losing my husband. I couldn’t hold back the tears as my precious son grimaced in pain and the surroundings took me back to those trying days in the ICU.

May 11, 2023

Suffering Magnifies our Blessings

May 11, 2023/ Vivian Park/ Jennifer Blair

“The very pleasures of human life men acquire by difficulties.” - St. Augustine

I have recently found myself thanking God for things I have never thanked Him for before. For example, Jonathan has lots of curly hair, and curly hair sheds…a lot. It used to drive me crazy to for so much of his hair to end up all over our shower. (He does try to clean it up though.) But after the pain of walking through almost losing him, I find that I thank God for that hair every time I shower. It is a visual reminder that I still have my husband. Pain gives us a hard but vital lesson in thankfulness. It expands what we see to be thankful for in our lives. Who would think that hardship and suffering could make you MORE thankful? When it comes to surviving and or sinking in painful seasons, we are thrust into a crossroads

April 20, 2023

How the Nursery Reminds Me of God’s Faithfulness

April 20, 2023/ Jennifer Blair

The twins are now officially big boys in toddler beds. I remember when I was planning their nursery just before they were born. Our time was running out at our townhouse and we had nowhere to go. We tried unsuccessfully for months to find somewhere to live. I wanted their room to reminded me of God’s faithfulness on the mountains and in the valleys. I wanted a peaceful room, full of dark and light contrast to remind me that both darkness and light are the same to Him. I can be at peace in Him, regardless of our circumstances.

November 22, 2022

A Season of Sowing

November 22, 2022/ Jennifer Blair

Have you ever seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away? I wish I could transport you all to the moment I took the photo above. The sky was on fire with the brilliant last rays of the sun, acting like a highlighter to the vibrance of the Aspen leave all around me. It’s one of the few moments I remember being truly awestruck. But I wouldn’t be able to see all of that immense beauty if not for something so small and seemingly insignificant: a seed.

August 03, 2022

The Peace of Right Priorities | Raspberry Patch Utah

August 03, 2022/ Jennifer Blair

For the past year or so I’ve been trying to get rid of stress in my life. I realized a while back that I am often choosing my stress. Now, with five kids (including twins) life can get stressful pretty quickly with just the normal day-to-day things! Even so, I’ve been trying to get at the root of my stress. It’s not good for my body, my family, or my walk with the Lord. After many months of examining, I believe the root of most of my stress comes when my priorities aren’t right.