when i was a younger and my family would take road trips, i would spend most of the time staring out the green tinted car window and dreaming up ife scenarios that may or may not have included chris o’donnell, high powered business suits and a working girl life a la melanie griffith.

my name is ellen parker and i’ve always been a romantic. i’m married to a man i met when i was a sophomore in college. we spent four years simultaneously being friends and fighting like a grumpy married couple until we finally surrendered to a life together and got married up.

in eleven and one half years, we have moved five times and grown three small people. a boy, ten. a girl, seven. a boy, four. these small ones provide a good bit of sharpening and a healthy dose of laughter.

we live in a sweltery southeastern town where my husband directs activities and other like things at a residential children’s home. before that he was the director of an inner city golf ministry. yes, an inner city golf ministry. he has a heart for children in difficult places and i follow after.

i love early mornings, iced chai lattes, a bag full of library books, a full movie theater, rainy evenings, nubbin fingers on small people and reimagining stuffs and things around my house. building our story and a strong sense of home into our children is fascinating to me. mining my everyday for bright treasures is my heart.

mostly i am interested in how Jesus saves, redeems, rescues and heals every rough and raw place in us. it’s the story of how He takes bitter and makes sweet.