The Sparrow's Home: Life is hard. God is good. We need each other.

Have you heard the new Kanye album?…said the middle-aged, white, suburban homemaker

November 4, 2019 by Susan 2 Comments

Why don’t we all share Jesus boldly like Kanye West? Could it be that we are afraid of our flaws and failures being in the spotlight?

Hip-hop is not really my thing. I do have some Black Eyed Peas on my workout playlist…does that count as hip-hop? I’m so uncool, I really don’t know.

Rap? That’s a big no thank you.

So typing Kanye’s new album into a search engine is not something I thought I would ever do. Ever.

But the truth is, this uncool mom has been doing a lot of thinking thanks to Mr. West.

7 Pinterest recipes that are as delicious as they look!

October 14, 2019 by Susan 2 Comments

Finding recipes that you love is kind of exciting, isn’t it? We’ve all had our Pinterest “fails” in the past. These are seven recipes that we tried and loved and I think you will too. Easy and delicious. Big thumbs up on these Pinterest wins!

With my picky kids off at college, my husband and I were excited to make a wider variety of meals, including trying some new recipes. And when I say new recipes, everyone knows that means heading to Pinterest, right?

If you’re like me, you’ve had tons of recipes that you pinned who-know-how-long-ago and just haven’t gotten around to making. You may also have had your share of Pinterest ‘fails’ in the past.

Don’t ask me about the time I tried making oven-baked crispy taco shells. LOL

But by all means, DO ask about the Pinterest wins we’ve had in the last few months. It’s so much fun to try a new recipe and love it!

Do you have a happy food dance, or is it just the ladies in my family?

The latest board games we can’t stop playing

September 9, 2019 by Susan Leave a Comment

Our latest list of board games are clever, fun, and kind of addictive! Two of them are great two-person games, too, which are perfect for at-home date nights.

Four games.

All of them are strategy games, although that’s where the similarities end. They really couldn’t be more different.

Before our boys left for college, we got Camel Up and Decrypto and loved them so much we played as much as we could before they left.

Since we’ve become empty nesters, my husband picked up Santorini and Quacks of Quedlinburg and it’s so much fun to have new games that the two of us can play together.

I can’t wait to tell you about these. You are definitely going to find something to love here!

Organize your pantry in one day on the cheap

August 19, 2019 by Susan Leave a Comment

A neat, clean and organized pantry for around $100 in supplies done in an evening! Doesn’t your whole world just feel better when you put things in order?

I’m not a perfectionist, and my house is no museum. But sometimes, enough is enough. You know? Over the years my closet kitchen pantry has been a source of frustration for me.

Here was the pattern:

Feel frustrated by messy and not-very-user-friendly pantry.
Take everything out and clean pantry.
Put everything back in.
Feel frustrated by clean and not-very-user-friendly pantry.

Homeschool science that prepares your kids for the worldviews they will face in college

August 5, 2019 by Susan 4 Comments

Online homeschool science courses that teach that science supports, rather than contradicts, Scripture help develop a Biblical worldview in students as they approach college.

I was compensated for my time in writing this post. All opinions are my own and I’m genuinely thrilled to partner with College Prep Science.

Christian parents.

We raise our sweet babies up to know the Lord, investing countless hours on family devotions, taking them to church, and modeling Christ-like living to them.

Then at 18 we send them off to college and wonder why so many leave their faith.

My husband and I will be experiencing our first foray into empty nesting this fall. (And to answer your question: Yes, I do expect there to be weeping.) As I think about my boys living away from our home, at the top of my prayer list is that they would maintain a strong Biblical worldview.

And when I say “Biblical worldview” I mean that they would see the world through a lens that says,

On all domains of doctrine and in life, the authority of scripture is to be placed higher than all human understanding, for it is God’s word and as such the highest authority.

-John Wycliffe

Simple and amazing summer lemonade

July 22, 2019 by Susan 1 Comment

I make this easy homemade lemonade all summer long. It’s so simple, but I get asked for the recipe frequently. Tart. Sweet. Summer in a glass.

Let’s clear one thing up right at the start: When I say homemade lemonade, I do not mean squeezing your own lemons.

I mean, theoretically you could. But you really don’t need to, and in my book, this falls in the same arena as making my own pizza dough and pie crusts. I could, but when it’s so convenient to buy Trader Joe’s handy and delicious versions, why would I?