Most children are familiar with the stories of the people they see in a traditional Nativity scene—Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and of course, Jesus. But do they know about Jesus's ancestors who God used to bring about the birth of the Messiah? In this brief excerpt from Jesus and the Characters of Christmas, children will learn about just a few of the everyday men and women whose faith made it possible for Jesus to one day be born. Share this story with your child ... [keep reading]
Why our weakness is designed to draw us closer to God
My hands gripped the steering wheel like I was driving through a thunderstorm, but the car wasn’t moving. I sat in a dark parking lot with my hands at ten and two while tears streamed down my cheeks. Not the pretty kind you might see in an old film, where a single tear can be gently dabbed away with a tissue. My chest heaved, and I wailed more like a child than the twenty-year-old woman I was. It was a cry from the deep—not just tears for another failed relationship but the physical response of ... [keep reading]
How should Christian parents approach Halloween?
The current cultural trends for Halloween certainly leave a lot to be desired – slasher films, gory, scary, creepy, and downright gross décor, and the general acceptance of displays which glorify the genuinely horrifying (like murder and torture) all combine to make many people (Christian and non-Christian alike) uncomfortable. There is absolutely no denying that there are strong associations between the festivities of Allhallowtide and the dead. Afterall, these feast days are dedicated to ... [keep reading]
3 simple ways to slow the hustle and savor your family time
We all yearn for joyful, memorable days with our friends and family. Slow living has become a trendy phrase, not just for the homestead community, but for everyone from corporate executives to stay-at-home moms. Many of us have a desire to simplify and get back to the basics of what is truly important in life. In a society filled with instant gratification such as same-day deliveries, smart devices, and AI chatbots that answer every question we can imagine, it’s easy to get ... [keep reading]
Mom, are you carrying more than you can handle on your own?
Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.” Exodus 18:17-18 We have twenty-four hours in a day, and hopefully, a third of those are spent in dreamland. It’s practically a full-time job to do the stuff of everyday life: going to the grocery store, doing your laundry, scrubbing the dishes for the thousandth time, and regularly getting in ... [keep reading]
Do you view the hard parts of motherhood as challenges or afflictions?
All suffering is hard. But not all hardship is suffering. Oxford Languages dictionary says that to suffer is to “experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).” Conversely, a challenge is a “task or situation that tests someone's abilities.” That’s a crucial distinction to make, especially when I am seeking, first and foremost, to tackle the question of finding the good in those testing circumstances rather than the conundrum of why some of us suffer more than ... [keep reading]
What God’s creatures can teach us about his amazing love and care for us
Have you ever watched an old TV episode of Lassie? Each week that loyal collie performed some incredible task for Timmy’s family that left me wondering why our dog was sweet, but hardly capable of dashing off to bring help in an emergency or smart enough to save a child from a burning building. Lassie was a television staple for twenty years. There were other animal shows too during the 1950s and 1960s, like The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. This series featured an orphan boy ... [keep reading]
Enjoy the sweet taste of summer with this scrumptious strawberry pie recipe
To me, there’s little that’s more satisfying than feeding family and friends, and I don’t need much of an excuse. Long day? I’ll make you dinner! New baby keeping you busy? Here are a few frozen meals, ready to defrost and feed the family! Celebrating something (first lost tooth, a great report card, promotion at work, a sunny spring day)? That deserves cookies! As I write this, it’s June, and around here, that means strawberries are ready to pick. Most everyone gets into the act—we pick ... [keep reading]
What to do when an unexpected adventure calls you
“What do you think about moving to the mountains full-time?” If only I’d known that with that one question, our whole lives would change. Actually, I take that back, because if I’d known all the hard stuff we were going to face, I would have never signed up for this particular adventure. And I would have missed all the good stuff. At this point, you might be thinking, I could never be a homesteader! I got you, girl. Let’s get it straight from the start: Being a country girl was ... [keep reading]
“Who is God?” and other big questions little kids ask
Anyone who has spent time around children knows that they can ask surprisingly insightful questions, especially when it comes to spirituality. Pastor and trusted Bible teacher Dr. Tony Evans answers some of children's most fundamental questions about the Christian faith in his new book My Biggest Questions About God. You can use these helpful Q&As to initiate important discussions about God with your children. WHO IS GOD AND WHAT IS HE ... [keep reading]
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