No matter who we are, who our kids are, or how long we’ve been a mom, the tough days come. Bad attitudes come. Rough nights of sleep come. With tough days comes an uphill fight to have a contented attitude. I see it in my life– don’t you?– and so of course it occasionally comes…
What I Learned About Love & Marriage at a Pantera Concert
I was a child of a public-school Bible-belt upbringing in the 90s. The hurry-up-and-sign-it “True Love Waits” promise card at a yearly youth event clashed with my daily environment of couples-making-out-in-the-practice-rooms of the high school marching band hall. These competing elements formed a mish-mash foundation for my emerging personhood, all of it playing to a soundtrack of upbeat Amy…
4 Helps for Hard Times
“O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; My soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” ~ Psalm 63:1 ~ In our 6 years overseas, we experienced a number of challenges: my husband inexplicably collapsed (all but unconscious) for 5 days,…
“I Want to Grow As a Christian Woman”
Is this you? Are you looking for ways to grow as a disciple? Perhaps you have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, but are looking for fresh ideas, or ways to revitalize your Christian walk? Or maybe you’re a new believer and want to grow more like the Lord? I’m by no means…
Childlike Faith & Being a Punkinhead
“OH my goodness, what a sweet squish ball you are! Can you say, ‘I’m a Pumpkinhead?’” 2-year-old Theo: “I a punkinhead.” This short, silly encounter with my precious, repeat-anything son made me think. As believers, we need to fervently repeat what our Father tells us, even when we don’t yet understand or have a clue what…
September 2015 Mailbag: Preschoolers, Porn, & Fighting a Critical Spirit
#1– WHAT TO DO WITH THE PRESCHOOLER WHILE HOMESCHOOLING? Q: I feel at a loss with what to do with my 2-1/2-year-old daughter while we’re homeschooling, or even just throughout the day as I’m trying to get things done. What do you do with your 2-1/2-year-old? A: Well, Theo’s my current 2-year-old, and he’s a…
Do Your Kids Need a Bickering Bootcamp?
Q: When you suddenly notice arguing, general strife that is seemingly NOT momentary…..what do you first address in the home? I am feeling frustrated because it seems sort of sudden and not just one or two kids. I have been very tired and struggling to buck up…so maybe my attitude is part of it. I…
“A Sober Estimate”– 40 Questions for Personal Revival
Romans 12 challenges us to righty, soberly assess ourselves and our faith. “I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” ~Romans 12:3 Amidst non-stop workweeks, exhausting weekends, kids that need daily correction and meals, sin and sorrow, never-ending…
25 Things The Bible Says About Parenting
Here are 25 things the Bible says about raising children, discipline, and parenting. The classic parenting verses are here, as well as a few unusual (not-often-quoted) portions that include direction and insight about how God sees children, parenting, and discipline. One of the things I considered as I read through these verses is that a lot of modern controversy centers on…
How To Avoid New Baby “Jealousy”
Each pregnancy, it happens at least once. A grocery store clerk, relative, older woman, a waiter– someone– says to my youngest child: “Are you gonna be jealous of the new baby?” Here’s what I want to say in response to that: “Be quiet!” (Of course I don’t say that.) What I actually say is, “Oh, no, (s)he is…