Creating a rhythm of prayer for your family
Life is loud. You’re bombarded with demands and needs at home, at work, and in your community. A child cries, laundry overflows, and dishes pile up.…
How do I protect my kids from school bullies?
,Dear Mattsons, How do I protect my kids from school bullies? Sincerely, Mama and Papa bear That is right, Mama and Papa Bear, you want to protect…
Preach the gospel to yourself first, then your children
Sin. That heavy, one-syllable word that can feel like a gut punch when we stop and ponder our own. As Christian parents we can jokingly say we’re…
Overcoming the spirit of fear with children
“What do you want the judge to decide in court tomorrow?” my daughter asked. “Whatever God wants, I want.” “But what do you think will happen?” “I…
Giving Jesus our burdens
Talking with my sister the other day, she told me her teenage daughters (the two older of her four children) had both been crying the previous day…
Parenting when you can’t see the forest for the trees
#Stoptheclock This is the hashtag I added to an Instagram post of my daughter during her high school senior year. On one hand, it was simply a futile…
How slowing down can make us better parents
Last December, I realized something had to change. Perhaps it was feeling pain grip my chest amid holding a crying, thirty-pound toddler, whisking a…
Why we don't say "best friend"
Language is one of my favorite subjects to study and think about. I’ve always told my students that whoever owns the dictionary owns the culture. It…
3 ways to guide your children to emotional wholeness
It felt like the world was falling apart around me. I had just gotten home from a long day of seeing clients, and all I wanted was a shower,…
