I’m not one to get unnecessarily emotional or nostalgic but sometimes moments filled with overflowing emotions sneak in like a wave, I’m swept under, tossed around, and disoriented. As we were preparing to celebrate my son's 6th birthday, I was assembling a bike in the garage and this thought crept up on me: we’ve already spent 1/3 of the time he will be under our roof. Have I wasted moments of it? Have I passed on 1/3 or my values and passions, or taught him 1/3 of what he needs to know before heading out into the new world? How many times have I disregarded him to focus on work, or my phone, or yard work, or projects? I’ll never get that time back. It’s a sobering reality. We hold tight so one day we can let go. God give me strength and peace and wisdom, guide me so I can lead him in the ways that he should go. https://www.instagram.com/p/CHiS80qBgqb/?igshid=24z10cxsf1tb

We met at 18, started dating at 19, (fun story she had a very large emotional breakdown on her 19th birthday because she was “so old” 😂. We got married at 23, had Forest at 25, had Fern at 27, added Finley at 29, and here we are at 30 with 3 kiddos. What a wild ride. Love you very much, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!#bestfriendteaminc #ogwayfam #thewayfam https://www.instagram.com/p/CCcVpHBl6sQ/?igshid=104hppbg5j1gv

30 with three kids and not much has changed. Still singing songs, praying, and reading together every morning. On the other hand, there is a nagging internal dialogue going back and forth in my head: “this is a big year, you better not waste it, what do you have to show for so far, are you gonna write that book or record an album, what about launching a business or side hustle” and it’s kind of disheartening at times tbh because deep down I know: it’s not what it’s how. Maybe my big thing is being faithful in the little things, maybe shooting for being a good husband and father and community member is enough? Perhaps prestige, popularity, dollar signs, and status symbols aren’t worth as much as purpose and principles. But it’s hard because hustle culture assumes contentment as complacency. So maybe 30 isn’t a big year for a big thing, but a big year for faithfulness in the little things. https://www.instagram.com/p/CB94OXEll_X/?igshid=ilpzg97vs4kq

Extreme sour patch kid. Sour at first and sweet after. She gives me opportunities to practice patience everyday. Patience is the fruit of the Spirit I am focusing on this month, and today I talked a little bit about it in my podcast This Is The Way. If you're interested please find it and give it a listen, because I believe we could all use some more patience, especially those of us with sour patch kids. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_BonFmB-cw/?igshid=fodg2vchsvkc

She hated baths. But now she doesn't. We're continually having to change the way we do things, trying to find another angle. It's useful and necessary to have structure and schedules, but flexibility is equally important. It's true that if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything - no structure, and no schedules lead to no organization and a lack of purpose. But if we can't bend, we will break. The kids still need baths, school and work have to be done. We need to exercise our bodies and our minds. We need to have times of silence and solitude and prayer. While life may look different, there is beauty to be found where chaos and order meet. Together, intentionality and flexibility have been teaching us some proper lessons. Just look how happy Finley is, one small change made all the difference. #thewayfam #simplicity #parenting https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7bLoyFz7-/?igshid=1mwmzhr733c6f

I turned my iPhone 11 Pro into a DUMB PHONE

12 tips to spend less time on your phone: If you're like me you have a lot going on and you're busy. You keep getting emails and notifications and want to keep up with the news and social media. I value my time, I’m sure you do too. Our smart devices permanently borrow too much of our time. Instead of connecting us to each other, they leave us feeling alone, isolated, depressed and anxious. So, I’m not getting rid of my phone, I’m just making it a little less smart. 

I’m taking my time back and focusing on: quality>quantity, people>perfection,  connection>content and creating>consuming. 

 Here’s how: 

 1. Write down a list of all the apps you want on your phone. 

 2. Define what apps you need, take into account all areas of life. 

3. Delete unnecessary apps. 

 4. Organize apps by folders, keep it simple. 

 5. Turn off as many notifications as possible. 

 6. Schedule do not disturb. 

 7. Turn on downtime (bedtime for your phone). 

8. Set app time limits. 

9. Disable browser. 

10. Limit or eliminate social media. 

11. Set screen to greyscale. 

12. Keep an accountability partner (give them your screen time passcode).

Family of FIVE! Finley has joined the outside world. Hanna and her are doing great. Forest and Fern are stoked! https://www.instagram.com/p/B1CpO6jBf9v/?igshid=1ubh1ni0raeev

Hello, let me introduce myself. I’m Zach, 29 years old married to @hannaoliviaway for the past 5 years of our lives. I’m an INTJ and an 8 on the enneagram, so I guess you could say I get a little passionate about things that matter to me. Following Jesus, being married and staying friends, parenting intentionally, being honest with yourself and others, challenging the status quo, personal responsibility, self care (personal growth), stoicism, and essentialism/minimalism are at the top of my list. What’s on yours? https://www.instagram.com/p/B09EUZXBx54/?igshid=esa2htjz97r4

I am learning to lean. Lately, we haven't made each other a priority. It's been a while since we felt like best friends, we fell into this weird sort of parenting/adult roommates with shared responsibilities zone, and it wasn't so hot. Most of it is probably my fault, and I'm not saying that in false humility. I've been upfront with Hanna about her shortcomings, but I should be more gracious in pointing out faults and solving problems immediately. Most of the time, she just wants me to listen. When you pile a bunch of stress, anger, frustration, sadness, tiredness, anticipation, and all the emotions on top of a relationship between an 8 and a 4 and you've got a SUPER fertile ground for strife. We're both pretty independent, so we both tend to try to lean on our own strength. Through it all, I've realized how needy and stubborn we both are, and been reminded that we can't "complete" each other. We need something much more than each other has to offer, and we tend to mess it all up when we're doing it on our own. So I'm still learning to lean on Jesus, because we can't do it on our own. #thewayfam #typeeightvibes #typefourvibes #bestfriendteaminc https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zGx4khfLT/?igshid=egemori8pznc

You are never ready. It’s true, what they say; even though it’s a cliche. It’s true, you are never ready. You can read all the books, plan, think, dream, prepare, have a panic attack in anticipation, call up a friend, get certified in... But you’re never 100% prepared. You’re never fully prepared because preparing is not the same as doing. Being informed, having an opinion, getting educated etc. those are all great, but it don’t count unless you take action. Excessive editing and preparing is just a sneaky and advanced form of procrastination. You can do better. Sure, you might not be as prepared as you would like. But it’s never going to be perfect and you aren’t promised tomorrow. So give yourself some grace but then start, begin, go. Keep moving forward, trusting God to lead your steps. #thewayfam https://www.instagram.com/p/B0W5sZ2ldE_/?igshid=1mxrxp8i13wi6

Odd realization: when I am using scissors I am relaxed. I only use scissors for crafts and cutting hair. It always takes longer than I expect but time seems to slow down. Maybe it’s the manual movements that causes my mind to slow down. I’m in the moment, and maybe that’s why doing things a little slower makes life a little better. https://www.instagram.com/p/B0MasBfh1_7/?igshid=f2gbpqk69ot1

I love my family. We had such a good time at Hume. Forest has been asking us to go for months now, so him and Hanna surprised me for my birthday/fathers day. It was good to get away from everything for a bit and just spend some good quality time with my family. (at Hume Lake) https://www.instagram.com/p/Byz68zOFYyn/?igshid=1t3f5m18ubjdr

Sabbath, a million things to do, but today the only two things I checked off my list were: enjoying time together and rest. I could’ve fixed the broken sprinkler, or mowed the lawn, cleaned out the garage, wrote another chapter in a book I’m debating, finished fixing the window motor on our car, and a ton of other things that are constantly in the back of my mind. Instead, I closed all those mental tabs, and you know what? It was a good day, and not focusing on those things cleared up more mental space to be present with my kiddos and wife. We’re 6 months into practicing sabbath, and still getting the hang of it, and today was good, real good. https://www.instagram.com/p/Byg1jb2luvT/?igshid=1w1htzcas32dd

At the moment, it was very mediocre. It was an okay day; it was an alright hike. The kids had some good moments and a lot of meltdowns. I didn’t have the best outlook and attitude at this moment. But looking back, it was good. When I look back at a photo, I tend to forget the low points. The fog clears, and the chatter dies down. It’s easy to look at photos this way. It’s easy to see a single moment in time captured and not be aware of everything happening in the background, the moments before and after, the days, weeks and years leading up to that moment. It gets especially confusing when we have little context for the photo; we compare the entirety of our lives to someone else’s captured and curated moment. And it’s easy to compare, it’s normal in today’s culture, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. A healthy way to measure our moments is by comparing them to who and where we were yesterday because we know the background, we know our unique situation and season of life, and it’s so easy to ignore other people’s. https://www.instagram.com/p/ByWrlUAFqR_/?igshid=12eyogt3k2ut0

My favorite picture of you Is the one where It hasn't rained yet Oh and as I recall Came a winter squall And we got soaking wet It's a thousand words In the blink of an eye The camera loves you and so do I Click My favorite picture of you Is the one where you're staring Straight into the lens https://www.instagram.com/p/BxtHyVXBWE6/?igshid=1iqan6wpebabh

It’s important for him to know, as he grows up: this world was created for us. It can be a beautiful and abundant world free from misery and want, if we do not lose The Way. When God’s spirit hovered over the waters, He separated light from darkness, creating order out of chaos and overflowing emptyness. The Hebrew phase ’tohu wabohu’ describes the earth as void and without form or empty, chatotic, disordered and meaningless. But God separated it, He created beauty and order, meaning and purpose. The darkness fled from the light. Our world can be beautiful, meaningful, and life giving, it can also be cruel, empty, and life draining. We have the ability to bring light into the world, to expose meaning and purpose, to highlight beauty and peace, to live simply, to love more, to be gracious, to bring joy, to be content with what we have, allowing the light to drown the darkness, to be to be faithful stewards. As we enjoy this earth, we remember The Way which makes all things new. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwlTCFZjT90/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=is4f377ggp35

Surprise. I’m pregnant. It’s been an adventure, with a generous amount of ups and downs, uncertainty, sorrow and lots of arguments. Soon we will be out numbered. Heading into new territory with a dull reminder of our miscarriage, the grief finds it’s way into small moments, the joy spills over unexpectedly. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvMqKHgD20O/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=133i7ojj0szqf