Teaching kids to love their neighbor
In the middle of a blizzard, our family loaded up a moving truck and relocated to a new home in a new neighborhood in a new city. Bundled in puffy parkas and weather-proof hats, all six of us shook the snow off our boots and lugged box after box up the winding stairs.
When our cheeks were rosy with borderline frostbite and we could barely feel our fingers, we took a break, boiling water for…
Called To Love: Saying yes to adoption and foster care
On a sunny February morning, my husband and I stood in a judge’s chamber holding a beautiful, tiny bundle with a head full of wavy black hair. Having spent the last two weekends in the hospital, once for a terrifying head injury for my son, and the other to watch as another woman gave birth to a child I now call my daughter, I was elated and exhausted in every way. Surrounded by family, we took…
Discovering Jesus as my rescuer
If you had asked me ten years ago to describe who God is, my answer would’ve sounded theologically accurate. I would’ve listed names I knew were correct—Creator, Savior, “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). I grew up going to church every week, then became a missionary kid at age eleven, so I knew all the right answers. I had also read my Bible daily since age thirteen. I had a lot of knowledge, but…
What is your teen daughter’s view of romance?
Last week my friend’s daughter said, “When I get married, if my fiancé doesn’t cry when I start walking down the aisle, I’m going to turn around and leave.”
At first, she wanted to laugh but then realized her daughter was serious. She realized a steady diet of movies and social media had shaped her teen’s view of romance.
“What did you do?” my friend asked. “When your daughter was this age,…
8 messages to strengthen your child’s self-perception
As Christian parents, one of our most important responsibilities is to nurture our children’s self-esteem. The way we talk to our kids profoundly impacts their self-image and confidence. In a world often filled with doubt and insecurity, the words we speak to our children have a profound impact on their self-perception. As parents, we want to lay the foundation for healthy self-esteem which will…
Simply enjoying your children: A father’s advice for love and joy
“Tell me you are from a small town without saying you are from a small town . . . .”
“Tell me you are married without saying that you are married . . . .”
“Tell me that you have a dog without saying you have a dog . . . .”
I see questions like that pop up on my social media, and I’m always intrigued so I usually stick around to see what they'll say.
A lot of the questions that get…
Valentine’s Day with Kids
It was Valentine’s Day and each student decorated a shoebox for the holiday. We all took turns dropping our Valentines into one another’s boxes. I remember picking up my box and finding a large, grown-up Valentine sitting on top, with a big box of chocolates. I was a shy fifth grader and I still remember how special it felt to receive that gift. And I remember the boy’s name . . . Jeff Hunky.…
A letter to the motherless mother as we approach Mother’s Day
Dear motherless mother, I see you.
It’s that time of year: the commercials, the flowers, the signs in every store you walk into—it’s Mother’s Day. This is the day each year that I know simultaneously you dread and you look forward to.
You look forward to (hopefully) being celebrated by your own children, but there's this dreaded hole. It’s a pain and a sting you just can't shake. Whether…
Grace based parenting
When I write about grace based parenting, I'm not referring to the book by Dr. Tim Kimmel, or any parenting books for that matter. Grace based parenting is more than a book or even a parenting style. Rather, it's a way of raising children with God's grace, limitless tenderness, and very real presence in the details of our lives. It's not a "parenting tool"—it's a life we create for God's glory.……