The angels announced the coming of Christ to the shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Christmas lyrics echo the cry of the angels: In despair, I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said; “For hate is strong, And mocks the…
Author: Jess Connell
Top 10 Posts of 2015
Well, we’re all but there. The end of the year. Again. How does this keep happening? I’ve published over 150 articles on jessconnell.com in 2015. According to the stats, these are the top 10 most-read posts on jessconnell.com from this past year: #1- JOSH DUGGAR & THE PROBLEM WE ALL HAVE Though the news did not surprise me,…
Unlearning Procrastination
So my whole life I’ve been a risk-assessing procrastinator. By that I mean, I don’t utterly and completely procrastinate. Procrastination is typically thought of as simply “putting off” and that’s not the whole picture of what I do. No, I *assess* the risk, first… How bad is the job gonna be? Is there any way to…
Mommy Life & Getting Past Survival
Can we just say it: After you become a parent, the first few months are brutal, yes? Well, they were for me, with Ethan (our first son, in 2002): NICU for a week I had mastitis for a solid, bloody-cracked-painful month Trying to figure out every single thing, and feeling like it mattered so very…
8 Practical Ways to Show Affection to Your Preschooler
Here’s a video my almost-3-year-old Theo & I made to share our favorite snuggly and silly things. These are eight of the fun and easy ways that I practically show affection to my 1-5 year old kiddos, and enter into their little preschool hearts and have fun with them: VIDEO 0:59- #1– zuburts & kisses, “big ones”…
You CAN Make Your Own Baby Food
Hi there. I bet if you’re reading this, you’re a happy mama with a cute baby you love… I can relate to that. Luke Ebenezer (A.K.A. Lukearoni, Lukey, cutest-baby-in-the-whole-wide-world) is our 7th baby, and like I’ve done for all 6 babies before him, once he was ready to start eating solids, I started making the food…
Have You Heard About These Christmas Gifts?
This is a sponsored post. This Christmas, Do you want to do your part to fight human trafficking? Is the advance of the Gospel through practical means a passion for you? Would you like to provide practical help for refugees? Are you looking for a way to teach your children about Christmas GIVING rather than…
6 TIPS for Choosing TOYS THAT LAST
As a mom of seven kids, you might imagine that I have some strong opinions about what makes a good toy. You’d be right. In fact, let’s just call them my personal rules for choosing toys that stand the test of time. As a family one of our guiding principles is to be good stewards of…
The Truth About Jess Connell
So you want to know the truth? Not just the lovely bits, hmmm? Well, I don’t blame you. Here at JessConnell.com, I try to share from both my weaknesses and strengths… however, there’s always that niggling sense that other people are better than us, isn’t there? It shows up often in our online interactions, because these…
Motherhood as Artistry
As I’m typing this my daughter is practicing sixteenth-note scales on her violin. 1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a,3-e-&-a, 4-e-&-a, and on and on it goes. Though her violin is in tune, and though she’s playing just as she should, it doesn’t yet sound proficient. Her sixteenth notes are uneven, and her finger placement lacks the precision required to…