One of the surprising things, to me, about the Christmas story, is the way Joseph & Mary’s hearts yield themselves to God. Mary submits… despite her age despite her singleness despite the challenges it would mean for her despite the judgment of her community Joseph submits… despite the way things would look despite the “cost”…
Category: Grow as Wife
Convictions & Choices, part 2: What to Do When We Hold Opposite Perspectives?
In this series about convictions, we’ve talked about: Not doing something to prove people wrong, and Not doing something because other people do it. And in that last article, we left off at that pesky place where we come to a different conviction than someone else in the Body of Christ. So what do we…
Convictions & Choices, part 1: Don’t Do It Because “They” Do
We recently talked about not doing something “just to prove them wrong.” Today I want to talk about the flip side: Don’t embrace a conviction just because others do. Just as the world often goes along with lifestyle decisions because of the people around them, Christians sometimes take on the convictions of others around us without…
Is Your Child Getting Enough Sleep? Are You?
At a counseling conference my husband and I attended in October, one of the trainers made an interesting statement: “If one of my counselees comes in with general depression-like symptoms, one of my first questions is how much sleep they’re getting.” He shared that his personal policy is to tell them to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep…
Are You Doing Too Much?
A few Saturdays ago, I sprained my ankle while coming down our stairs toward the garden. Moving too fast, I misjudged where the sidewalk ended, and the grass deceived me into believing the ground was taller than it was. My ankle rolled. HARD. I *HEARD* cracking noises, y’all. Yikes! But you know what? By Monday morning I…
Is Your Heart Prepared for the Holiday Stress? (Facing the Busyness Without Grumping, Whining, or Self-Pity)
The holidays are upon us. I made it all the way to Thursday when *BAM* someone says, “yeah, just one week until Thanksgiving.” EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! Admittedly, this year I don’t have much to do for Thanksgiving. Several families are getting together, and so I have a turkey, and two other items, to bring. One of which…
Stop Waiting For a Zap
Today I want to ask you something: Have you been waiting for the elusive “zap?” What I mean by that is: Are you waiting for something to happen TO you in one of these areas: Is your child throwing tantrums and out of control? Are you in a marriage slump? Is your house a wreck? Are…
“Make No Provision” For Your Yelling
We’ve talked about yelling before here. I’ve made it no secret that yelling has been a struggle for me as a mom… but I have also increasingly found self-control and “success” in this area. Perhaps you struggle with yelling… as a wife? as a mom? I don’t know your exact situation… but I want to…
Controlling Mama, What Are You Clutching?
As women, we are apt to be controllers. We tightly grip the things that matter most to us. We clutch our children, control our husband, treasure our possessions, count calories meticulously… whatever it is that matters to us, we tend to hold it tightly. But… it happened to me again this week: whatever we try to…
What Plays Loudest in the Soundtrack of Your Mind?
“To glorify someone is to praise, enjoy, and delight in them.” ~Tim Keller This short tweet stopped me in my tracks. It’s not that I hadn’t heard these ideas before, or didn’t know the definition of glorify. But, simply, this little definition provides such a practical litmus test for us as believers. Sometimes “glorify God” can…