God is Good to the Johnsons

LITTLE LOVE Do you know little love what it was like for me When your Daddy and I found that our family Was going from two to becoming three? All because of you, little love, little love. Did you know little love that Daddy kissed my hair? When he first felt you kicking around in there. And the joy in our hearts, well it was more than fair All because of you, little love, little love. Do you know little love how I carried you long How you wiggled inside when I sang my songs And in the motherhood circle I knew I'd belong All because of you, little love, little love. Do you know little love how weak my body grew? In the hours of labor while I fought for you And in all that pain just know my love was true  And I'd do it again, little love, little love. Do you know little love how your eyes shone bright? As I first saw your face in the morning light, And your dad, how he smiled as he held us tight You, me, and Daddy, little l...

I love reading almost as much as I love writing. And I love writing almost as much as I love reading. Depends on the day. One never truly trumps the other. Gotta have both. These are 5 children's books I've read within the past 2 years that gave me that turn-page feeling, that friends-with-the-characters feeling, that weepy-when-it's-over-feeling. I dare you to read one and I triple-dog-dare you to leave a comment below telling me a story that's given YOU them sort of feelings. #5-- Flotsam  by David Wiesner. If you're not much of a reader (or for your loved ones who can't read at all!) check this one out. It's a whimsical wordless picture book that entertains your curiosities of what truly lies at the bottom of the sea while simultaneously indulges hopes of finding something truly awesome washed up on the shores of a summer destination spot. #4-- Echo  by Pam Muñoz Ryan. With three main characters, three plot lines from WWII era, music liter...

Demanding days Require Walks. Walks to the creamery Walks to the park Walks up the mountain Walks in the dark. Walks to center street Walks dirt or paved Walks with my sweetheart Walks with little babe. Demanding days Require Walks. Demanding days Require Quiet. Quiet while I write this Quiet in my black Jeep Quiet doing dishes Quiet rock my babe to sleep. Quiet before class starts Quiet washing hair Quiet while I read a book Quiet in my rocking chair. Demanding days Require Quiet. Demanding days Require Love. Love from my little boy Love from his dad Love in my teaching Love still when I'm sad. Demanding days Require Love. Demanding days Require Music. Music in an orchestra Music from a rock band Music songs by indie guys Folk Rock's never bland. Demanding days Require Music. Demanding days Require God. God's in my every day God loves me any way God carries through the gray No matter what the bigots say. ...

DISCLAIMER. IF YOU'RE REPULSED BY SAP, STOP READING :) While serving my mission in the MTC in Provo, visa waiting in Tacoma WA and ultimately serving in Rosario, Argentina, I observed that I could get through just about anything with God and a good companion. I served side by side with 9 incredible women and I seriously love each of them. They each have unique talents and taught me spectacular things! Shout out to you Alicea, Telfer, Brown, Young, Ferraez, Martinez, Diorio, Rasband, and Briggs. (And for that matter, all the other ladies that were my comps for a day or two during splits. Love all y'all). Well, I've come to realize that marriage is the exact same way. I've got a GREAT companion. I've still (and thankfully always) got Heavenly Father. Crap will still happen. But hey, with those two (and, well, a good attitude and willing part on my end) welp, look out world!  Here's a few musings on life this week with my eternal comp:  Monday ni...

Last week I attended an educator's conference, and while there I had the incredible opportunity to learn from and chat with Jennifer Nielsen, a popular children's & young adult author. She shared a powerful idea regarding writing-- "You are one million percent unique. There's no one else exactly like you. You have a story to share... and if you don't write that story, no one will." While her speech  may have been intended to help me motivate my students to write, her words had a profound effect on me. I love to write, I always have. I was the weird kid in 1st grade that wrote a 4 page long report about George Washington when the requirement was a half page or so. I wrote or collaborated in writing at least 9 novels by the time I was 15 years old. What happened to me? 6 blog posts in 2 years? Pull yourself together, Mikayla J! I have these reservations and I keep putting writing on the shelf for when future me has time (hah! What a joke) and better idea...

There's nothing quite like being eight and a half months pregnant. I'm feeling like my abdomen is a time bomb about to explode to reveal the most cuddly and precious little blessing ever... and in this interim I'm joyful, anxious, nervous, and reflective. I've always admired how kids are down to earth, genuinely funny, and especially Christlike. Before I forget what it's like to have my little munchkin Charlie bopping around inside me, I want to pen just a few of the ways he's helped me come closer to Jesus already. I didn't start "showing" until I was 25 weeks pregnant, and even then it was ambiguous (there's the people at the grocery store that stared at me funny and then nonchalantly looked away, because they wanted to ask if I was pregnant but were afraid of just calling me out for being a bit chubby if they said anything. Their facial expressions always made me want to laugh and cry at the same time). Anyways, I could feel my littl...

"Oh my road, oh my road ain't hallelujah, but... Hallelujah anyway!" This line is from one of Kevin and I's favorite songs, Oh My Road sung by our favorite band Grizzly Goat (check out the song and the band at their website http://grizzlygoatmusic.com/listen/ ).  And to be honest, HALLELUJAH, ANYWAY! has become our motto these past two months. A run of bad luck hit us from late April through early June--job loss, a myriad of health issues on both our parts, and getting kicked out of our apartment, to name the biggest challenges--and with each new smattering of bad news, we put dreams on shelves. We keep kicking. We're taking time to make sense of our rearranged future.  When baloney like this hit us, I was--firstly--angry. There are plenty of places and people on whom to lay the blame, but anger--well, big surprise, it didn't help. My wise and patient husband Kevin helped take me to my knees to ask for God's help to see the big picture. To be ...