“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]
Who is Teaching Your Child About the Bible?
It’s kind of funny how you fill in blanks as a kid. For example, I don’t remember learning much about heaven in church. It sounded pretty great, of course, but the details were lacking, so obviously I let Disney help teach me. You know at the beginning of Dumbo when the stork is delivering Dumbo, and takes a break to check his map while Dumbo keeps nearly falling out of the clouds? Well, I had decided heaven was in the clouds. I was a bit of a nervous, shy kid so I was particularly worried about ... [keep reading]
Preparing for an Amazing Summer with Your Kids
Sunshine, green grass, popsicles, pool parties, playgrounds, and lazy days. As you anticipate summer break with your kids, some of these visions might be dancing in your head. But if you’re like me, summer can quickly slip from your grasp before you realize what’s happened. Over the past several years, I’ve tried a variety of approaches for summer break. Sometimes I’ve built in organization and structure, with planned activities throughout. Other years I’ve opted for the “lazy summer” route, ... [keep reading]
What Will You Freely Give to God?
Just last week my family had the opportunity to take a family vacation to the beach. It was just what our family needed during this endless Indiana winter. All but one of my children spent the better part of a day working together to dig a massive hole into the soft sand. Every so often they would invite their brother to join them. He politely declined and returned to building his sand castle. The repetitive motion of filling buckets, adding water, and then turning the buckets over to allow the ... [keep reading]
Mom, Are You Having a Bad Day? You’re Not Alone
I love my children with every fiber of my being, but some days they test my last nerve. They nitpick and fight with each other, whine and complain when I ask them to do a chore, and plug their noses when they see that I’ve placed a vegetable on their plates yet again. But you know what’s harder than navigating my kids’ reactions? Recognizing that I’m flawed too. Yes, this mama does her best to nurture and love, but sometimes my response is anger, impatience, or harsh words. And then the enemy ... [keep reading]
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