7 reasons to read Bible stories with your child
Okay, first, take a deep breath. Seriously. Have you even done that today? I get it. Life is crazy busy. It is nonstop. And if there are kids…
Seeing ourselves through the eyes of the Father
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:18 NIV). As I sat with a blank document in front of me, having not written in…
The next right thing
“Just do the next right thing. Take a step, step again. It is all that I can do. The next right thing. I won't look too far ahead. It's too much for…
How to thrive as the parent of a sensitive teenager
My son has been quiet all afternoon. Not in his usual introverted way—today he’s brooding. Slumpy. I plop down beside him on the couch. “Okay,…
Freedom in Christ—a more enjoyable way to live
We've been preparing for our longest RV trip yet, which means making far too many pink and orange highlighted lists and checking them a gazillion…
How to avoid power struggles with your children
“I don’t want to take a nap! I am not tired! You are so unfair!” “I am the only teen in the world who does not have social media! You are so…
Surrendering to God’s call
When God prompted us to adopt Joy three years ago, it came out of the blue—days before our twenty year wedding anniversary. For seven years, I’d…
Manna in the margins
Becoming a mother came with a surprising level of mourning. As I held onto the tangible joy of my first born and then second, I couldn’t deny the…
Two funerals and a wedding: 3 principles of grief in a stepfamily
It was a sunny Fourth of July weekend. Red roses and navy ribbons were the ideal backdrop for my fiancé, Robbie, and me to join in matrimony. With…
