As a stay-at-home mother of four little boys, I constantly find myself in the kitchen. There are meals to be cooked, sippy cups to refill, a pile of dishes that seems to never end–and someone is hungry for a snack all the time. The kitchen …
Motherhood
Faith at Full Strength
Often times my faith does not “feel” as if it’s operating at full strength. I am up to my nose in dirty diapers and dirty dishes, and working a to-do list that never ends. If I keep my sights solely on those things, then it …
10 Gifts for Kid’s Day
Because we have a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day in America, people occasionally used to propose a national “Kid’s Day.” But whenever the subject of a special holiday for children came up, someone invariably pointed out that most major holidays revolve around children. …
A Chapter of Wisdom a Day
This summer my daughters and I are sharing a devotional time by reading a chapter of Proverbs a day. It’s a simple and short way to spend time in the Word and prayer and, with 31 chapters, we’re done in a month. With Christine heading …
Father’s Day as a Single Mom
As a single mom I worked long hours and still struggled financially. Even so, I pulled together my pennies to buy the ingredients for a nice meal for my parents on Father’s Day. Always watching, my three and four year olds took note of this …
Coping with Change
As multiplied thousands of students graduate from high school and college this time of year, they hear lofty advice from baccalaureate and graduation ceremony speakers meant to prepare them for the future. Orators urge them to keep learning, think positively, set goals, strive for excellence …
Schluss Before Bedtime
In my childhood German-speaking home, Dad called our large family together each evening for Schluss before bedtime. Schluss is a German word that means conclusion or ending. Schluss was our time of family devotions. Dad read a passage from his German Bible. Then we knelt …
The Challenge of Disciplining Children
One of the most challenging things I faced as a mom was disciplining my children. There were days I felt like all I ever said was no, stop, quit, and don’t. I would come to the end of the day spent. I hope as a …
Praying God’s Word for Your Children
One of the most important things we can do for our children is to pray for them. We started praying for our children before they were even born and now though they are leaving home, our prayers continue to be one of the greatest gifts …
Ways to Praise
Ways to Praise: Awesome, You’re the best, You made my day, That’s the best, A big smile, High five, Pat on the back, Great job buddy, Wow, Super, You are outstanding, Fantastic, Way to go! You are special, How creative! Outstanding job, Excellent, Great, Well …