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Starting the Year with Open Hands, Not a Perfect Plan
If I’m honest, the New Year usually starts with a pause for me. Not excitement. Not dread. Just a pause. The calendar flips, people start talking about goals and words for the year, and I find myself sitting with my coffee thinking, I don’t actually know what I want this year to be yet. My planner is already filling up. Practices, appointments, work deadlines — things that won’t move no matter how nicely I ask them to. So while January is supposed to feel like a clean slate,
Amanda McKinney
Dec 30, 20252 min read


From Infertility to Infinity: How God Wrote Our Story
If you’ve ever lived through infertility, you already know this: it’s not just a medical condition. It’s a whole life season. It’s the calendar reminders, the timed blood work, the hormone injections, the pharmacy receipts, the early morning ultrasounds before work, the awkward exam tables, and the silent prayers on the bathroom floor where you stare at one pink line instead of two. Those pink lines feel so tiny, and yet they carry the weight of the whole month. For seven yea
Amanda McKinney
Dec 9, 20256 min read


Brick by Brick: Building Bridges Across the Canyons of a Child’s Mind
She stares at the page. The answer is there — she knows it’s there — but the numbers keep slipping out of order. Her pencil hovers. Her...
Amanda McKinney
Sep 29, 20254 min read


Raising Readers Without the Pressure
There are books everywhere in our house. In the car, in the living room, piled on nightstands, tucked under pillows. It isn’t by accident...
Amanda McKinney
Sep 19, 20254 min read


Why Kids Ask the Best Questions (and How to Lean Into Them Instead of Rushing Past)
Some of the deepest questions my kids have ever asked me haven’t been during family devotions or bedtime prayers. They’ve been crammed in...
Amanda McKinney
Sep 18, 20253 min read


Today’s Forecast: 97 Questions and One Dead Reptile
I had a 7-minute “conversation” with my five-year-old this week about why he couldn’t bathe a dead lizard. And I wish I could say that...
Amanda McKinney
Jul 27, 20253 min read


I’m Tired, But I’m Not Ready—And I Think God Gets That
Let me set the scene for you: The washer is on its fourth “re-wash” cycle because I forgot to flip the clothes. Again. There are dishes...
Amanda McKinney
Jul 19, 20253 min read


Let’s Untangle the Knot: Helping Big Kids Navigate Big Emotions
When Big Emotions Live in Little Bodies (and You’re the Safe Place They Crash Into) There’s no soft intro here. My boys feel big . I’m...
Amanda McKinney
Jul 12, 20253 min read


🌿 The Magic of Loose Parts Play (and Why It’s Not Just a Trend)
A stick, a cup, a button, a pinecone, and a kid with time. That’s all it takes to spark genius. Loose parts play might look simple—maybe...
Amanda McKinney
Jul 6, 20253 min read


Why Dirt Matters: The Educational Power of Messy Play
By Amanda, Founder of Wonder & Light Learning Co. "We weren’t created to stay clean. God made us from the dust—what a gift to let our...
Amanda McKinney
Jun 28, 20253 min read


Raising Curious Kids in a Convenience-Focused World
Why 'I don’t know—let’s find out' might be your parenting superpower We live in a world where everything is one swipe away. Dinner?...
Amanda McKinney
Jun 22, 20253 min read
What Shark Tooth Hunting Taught Me About Motherhood
A story about waves, weariness, and the treasure God reveals beneath it all. I just wanted him to find a shark tooth. That’s how the day...
Amanda McKinney
Jun 14, 20253 min read


Let Them Be Little... and Loud
Why noise, mess, and a million questions might just be the best thing for your child’s growth There is never a quiet moment in my house....
Amanda McKinney
Jun 7, 20253 min read


Why I Created Curiosity Camp
The story behind our summer of wonder It all started just a few days before summer break officially began. I was on the hunt for a summer...
Amanda McKinney
May 30, 20253 min read


Made for more
Encouraging children to discover through unstructured play I love being a mom. I love being a teacher. And honestly? Sometimes I feel...
Amanda McKinney
May 30, 20252 min read
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