A Quiet Simple Life | Sallie Borrink

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

A Quiet Simple Life

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PBS Jane Austen Week Four: “Miss Austen Regrets”


Confession time. I turned Miss Austen Regrets off about halfway through and watched the very interesting end of the Super Bowl instead.

I honestly tried to watch this, but it simply did not capture my attention. I didn’t like the actresses playing the main characters, didn’t like the dialog, didn’t care for the camera work, etc. It did nothing for me.

However, the music was gorgeous as was the scenery.

I have this thing about taking the lives of real people and running wild with imagining what they said and did and thought. I dislike it immensely in sermons about people in the Bible and I disliked it here. Someday when I’m dead and can’t speak for myself, I wouldn’t want someone making a movie about my life and making all kinds of guesses about how I felt about things or the conversations I had with people. While it is regrettable that most of Jane’s correspondence and diaries were burned shortly after her death, I just don’t think people should take great liberties in telling her story. It bothered me. But maybe that is just me.

So what did you think? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts!

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Do the Blogs You Read Edify or Demoralize?


One of the greatest dangers of the blogging world is the temptation to compare ourselves to other women. Although I think all women compare themselves to others to some degree, I think it can be an especially insidious problem for Christians.

Not only are we supposed to look good, have a fabulously decorated home, and raise beautiful children, but as Christians we need to be godly, holy women who manage our homes perfectly, educate our children perfectly, serve God in our churches perfectly, and do a million other things perfectly.

I am very careful about the blogs I read. I’ve learned over time that I have to be discerning. There are too many blogs out there that are fabulous and provide ample fodder for Satan to divert my attention from my calling and unique life situation.

I stopped reading almost all blogs written by women who have large families. Some of the ones I enjoyed reading in the past are written by wonderful women. But the constant theme of large families is not edifying to me. I read very few crafty blogs. The last thing I need is more craft ideas. I don’t need craft ideas. I need time to do the crafts I already have and enjoy doing. I don’t read anything cooking related. I’ve got plenty of recipes here in my home to try already. I don’t read the blogs of women who have all the theological answers. God has the answers and I need to ask Him. I avoid blogs that reduce homemaking down to formulas and lists for success. I’ve got plenty of those books around here already.

Most of my favorite blogs are written by women who write about their faith journey and the questions they have. I like those blogs because they remind me I’m not alone in my journey and that others struggle as they try to understand how to love the Lord their God with all their heart, mind, and soul. I like reading women who are willing to share their struggles and their thinking with the world because I think I can safely assume that they are real women, real sisters in Christ who hunger and thirst for more.

It is my hope and prayer that no woman will ever come to my blog and leave demoralized. I hope no woman will ever read here and think I have it all together or that I have all the answers. Instead, I hope women will come here and be challenged to a new way to think about something, a new idea to take to the Lord in prayer, or a fresh realization of who they are in Christ.

I felt compelled this evening to write this and encourage others to consider where they spend their time online. I think blogs can be a tremendous blessing. But I also want to encourage those who might have an unhealthy or even sick addiction to blogs that leave them feeling demoralized. Walk away from them. If a blog leaves you feeling like you can never measure up, don’t go there. Whether it is crafts, cooking, homeschooling, frugality… If you go places that drag you down, please stop.

Find the places that truly bless you and point you to Christ in whatever way that is meaningful to you. Let the rest of them go. Go to the places that edify and draw you closer to your family and your God. Be wise and avoid giving Satan a foothold in this area of your life.

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PBS Jane Austen Week Three: “Mansfield Park”


Here’s my short take on Mansfield Park. I liked it. Liked it much better than Persuasion, but not as much as Northanger Abbey. I didn’t especially care for Billie Piper as Fanny Price. As David said, she just looked too contemporary in the part and didn’t seem to visually fit into the story. I think if a different actress had played Fanny I might have liked it better. It is interesting that I like the stories of Mansfield Park and Persuasion better than Northanger Abbey, but in these productions I vastly preferred Felicity Jones at Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey to the other leading ladies.

A very insightful bit from the story is when it is revealed that Maria has left her husband and run off with Henry Crawford. The father mentions that he desired to raise his girls to be good and instead they only turned out to be good mannered. As a Christian, I think about how I desire for Caroline to be holy and godly as she grows up into a young lady. How sad it would be if she only grew up to be good and well-mannered.

So what did everyone else think? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts!

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Eleven Years Ago, I Became A Mrs.


Today is our eleventh wedding anniversary. We were married at noon on a snowy day. Eight months before, we had just met on America Online. But we knew it was meant to be. We had a lovely wedding and it was a happy day in every way.

Eleven years ago I could not have predicted that my life would be what it is today. I would have thought I would be thinner, have more money, have more children (who were also older), have a bigger house, have had less sorrow and relational pain, have had better health, and have had less spiritual hardship.

But life truly is what happens when you are making other plans. It is a journey full of the unexpected.

We’ve had unexpected joys and surprises. We’ve also had a lot of detours and washed out bridges and stalled cars and rain delays in our eleven years. And while some have been painful, all of them have served a useful purpose.

Because without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Rich in love, rich in parenthood, rich in our needs being met, rich in people who care about us, rich in spiritual opportunities and growth, and rich in the gift of time and perspective.

No, marriage has not been what I would have expected. It has, in fact, been far better. So many people, including Christians, speak so lowly of the marriage relationship, that one is tempted to wonder if it really can be good over the longrun. And can it not just be good. Can it be great? Yes, I think it can.

I would have hesitated to say this before I had been married for several years. Too many people say that marriage is great because you are newlyweds. Well, there may be some truth to that, but I can see plenty of miserable newlyweds around me as well. But after eleven years I can say that marriage is wonderful if you are married to the right person. It is not perfect. I’m not perfect. David isn’t perfect. We both have our faults, our baggage, our insecurities, our selfishness, and our inherited sinful nature. But even the hardest days, the most disappointing days, have been better because of David.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this gift.

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