* Affiliate links included. “Now I lay me down to sleep…” Do you remember the rote prayer we learned as children? Or maybe you taught your children, “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” There is nothing wrong with …
Motherhood
10 Steps to Hurdle the Daycare Barrier
We’ve all been there. You drop your child off at the home of your childcare provider or daycare center and she cries, “Mommy, stay with me! Don’t go!” It rips your heart out. If only I could, you think to yourself. If only there was …
Motherhood – Duty vs Sacrifice
Can we find glorious meaning in the mundane service of family? We know that God has called us to be servants, and we often pray to that end. We desire to see God use us. But when, by having children or elderly parents, life require …
Alzheimer’s – Spirits that Do Not Falter
Caring for the elderly was a perfect fit for me. My grandmother had sown into my life seeds of compassion, kindness, and respect. Those seeds grew into a garden of love and support for the “grandparents” put into my life. As a home companion, I …
Sharing God’s Goodness with Your Grandkids
“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. (Psalm 78:4 NIV) When I told my teenage grandson I would soon turn seventy, he asked, “What have you been doing all those years?” I …
One Mom to Another – It’s All Worth It
I love to do laundry. I enjoy sorting the lights from the darks. I like saving specific items from the dryer so they don’t shrink—when I remember. I’ve ruined many things! I like hanging shirts up right out of the dryer so wrinkling is minimal. …
Let Me Be the Dad, You Be the Kid
Our oldest son Noah likes to think he is a parent. He wants in on all adult conversation. He wants input in the disciplinary decisions regarding his brothers. He has a hard time just being a kid. We go on a family walk/bike ride every …
A Childhood Restored
I interviewed a lovely young woman for our local newspaper as she was about to age out of the foster care program in Florida. Jacquelin was not new to the foster care system. Having entered foster care at the age of 15, joining her special …
Longing for Those You Love To Be Free
“She sees them walking in a straight line, that’s not really her style. And they all got the same heartbeat, but hers is falling behind.” —Echosmith, “Cool Kids” My youngest daughter is 12 now. Show of hands here: Who wants to relive your twelfth year …
My Husband’s Notebook of the Big & Small of Life
My husband Chris has always said, “We remember the really good and the really bad and forget all the mediocre life stuff.” Because we all tend to forget so much, he wants his kids to look back and reflect, remember, and relive some of the …