this happy nest

the musings of lauren rayburn

Little Girl, Soiled Dove

She plays with other girls, laughing just like them But behind this girl’s laughter is the echo of her pain. Innocence lost too soon, purity just a memory [..]
Lost On the Road Home: Mental Illness

She is lost. Gone away somewhere in her mind. I squeeze her warm hand and catch her gaze, offering anchor. Where is she? Somewhere dark, devoid of truth [..]
Ode to Eyre on Her Birthday

Eyre Connelly Rayburn You came early, impatient to see the world. The nurses called you, STARGAZER. You surprised us with your red hair and continue to surprise us [..]
A Review: “Seeking Allah, Findi...

I recently completed “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” by Nabeel Qureshi, a devout Muslim who encounters Christianity. Qureshi speaks fondly of his Islamic upbringing, taking the time to educate [..]
A Sacred Sorrow

In the last year or two, I’ve watched friends walk around in heartache. They are emotionally wounded facing uncertainty and on the threshold of a new chapter in [..]
Many Questions, One Answer

Hello again! So it’s been almost exactly a year since I’ve posted anything, and I thought I may as well start with why that is; I got a [..]
Putting the Family Back in the Family...

You may not know this about me, but I’m a farm girl, born-and-raised. My dad is a farmer, and his dad was a farmer. However, I would say [..]
You Are Mom, Hear You Roar

On the day set aside to honor and esteem mothers, I’d like to give a web “shout out” to all the mamas out there. You juggle everyone’s health [..]
A Review of Longbourn – Downton...

In keeping with the current fashion, author Jo Baker, has written a novel highlighting the men and women in service at Longbourn, the home of Jane Austen’s most [..]
A Review: Happy Wives Club by freshma...

It started with a blog, www.happywivesclub.com. Fawn Weaver was fed up with the pervasive negativity surrounding marriage in today’s culture. So in protest, she started a blog dedicated [..]