My family loves traveling together. Whether it’s driving to a national park or visiting the beach, we’ve made all kinds of memories on the road. Can I be honest, though? Some of our trips haven’t been filled with 100 percent happy memories. Some—okay, all—of them have involved at least one fight or argument. For instance, the time we got lost in the Arizona desert. (Google Maps said there was a road. There wasn’t.) Or the day we visited all the Washington DC monuments in 95-degree heat, and ... [keep reading]
Trust God to Help You Grow and Bloom
I’ve shared my experience with gardening here before and how I tremble at the thought of pruning my plants. To be honest with you, friends, I have gained confidence in adding new plants to the yard, but I still find myself hesitant and a little anxious to pick up the pruning shears and cut back the once beautiful summer blooms that grace the bushes around our yard. As a mom I want to give my kids the best—the best experiences, the best food, and the best home. I want to be the best mom I can ... [keep reading]
Stop Swimming in Doubt About How God Made You
I put on a swimsuit today. No, not for me but for the sake of my kids. I should tell you first that I’ve never struggled with being overweight, but I’ve also never not struggled with my weight. In the fifth grade I became aware of how I looked in a swimsuit. Nobody said anything to me. I had simply and suddenly realized that I had a larger frame than most of the other girls my age. I have always had more of an athletic build, but by the time I made it to junior high, I had noticed that my ... [keep reading]
4 Great Ideas for Limiting Screen Time This Summer
“Mom, can you add more time for me?” This question has been on repeat in my house this summer. In my attempt to limit my kids’ screen time, I’ve set automatic timers that shut down their devices when they’ve reached their limit. It’s built-in accountability for them and me. But inevitably, whenever their device shuts down, they ask me to add more time. I wish I could say I never cave, but that would be a lie. Sometimes I’m busy trying to get a work project done and need a few more ... [keep reading]
Connecting with Your Kids when Summer Boredom Sets In
“I’m bored, Mama! There’s nothing to do….” As a kid, I couldn’t wait for summer vacation. But that excitement usually faded by July when I realized there wasn’t as much to do at home as there was to do in school. I grew up in a rural area, and we didn’t have a TV in the house. That meant my brother and I had to create ways to entertain ourselves. Or rather, my mother had to create those ways. As a woman managing a household and working part-time outside the home, I know summer school ... [keep reading]
How to Deal with Your Child’s Prickly Behavior
Blackberries are ripening in Indiana. The warm, rainy summer has left our crop of berries abundant. Behind our barn on the east side of our property, the blackberry bushes grow wild, twisting and climbing, weaving their way over old tree stumps and hiding the fresh fruit behind tall weeds. I love to grab a large bowl from the kitchen and make my way behind the barn to pick the dark purple berries. I reach gingerly past the thorns and delicately pull the berries free from the vine. By the time ... [keep reading]
Conquer Summer One Week at a Time
Eighteen summers. I once heard that the length of time you have with your children before they leave the nest described as eighteen summers. I still gasp when I think about it in those terms. It doesn’t seem nearly long enough—like we are somehow being robbed of precious time with our kiddos. In all actuality, we really do get only eighteen summers before they are off living their own lives. For my kids, summer equals freedom. After a school year full of indoor routines, they dive headfirst ... [keep reading]
5 Important Things to Remember When You’re Feeling Burned Out
"How are you doing with all the big changes in your life lately?" This question has been asked of me many times over the past year and a half, as I’ve released two books while also supporting my husband through a leap into full-time entrepreneurship. Most times when I’m asked that question, I can genuinely smile and say, “I'm at peace." Other times the weight of life and responsibility has buried me under a mound of exhaustion. Big life changes have a way of doing that to anyone. But ... [keep reading]
How to Make a Meaningful Connection on Father’s Day
Father’s Day is right around the corner, and today I’m shopping for gifts for the special dads in my life. And I’ll bet, Mama, that you are planning to take your kids out soon to do the same. I’m expecting a plethora of options—a whole aisle full of blue and brown cards, gag gifts, and every BBQ gewgaw ever created. We equate our dads with the masculine—the providers, the protectors. Or the jokesters. And it’s fitting. The image of the strong man pervades our media and culture. It’s even an ... [keep reading]
Finding Joy in Every Season of Life
I wore shorts for the first time since September! Did you hear that? I put on shorts and a T-shirt and went outside and turned my face toward the warm sun. I greeted it like a long-lost friend, and our reunion was glorious! If this doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, you might be reading from a state like Florida or Arizona, so I’ll explain it to you. The winter in the Midwest threatened to never end. Last month I wrote about the arrival of spring, but you know what? Spring never came. It ... [keep reading]
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