Once when having a conversation with my teenage exchange daughter and one of her friends, her friend said, “I never tell my mom anything.” Surprised, I asked her why. “Because of how she’d react. She’d either be mad or sad or cry or think it’s her fault. I just don’t want to go there, especially if it’s something really important to me.” “Well, thanks for trusting me enough to admit that,” I replied. “Of course,” she said. “It’s easier to talk to someone who’s not your parent.” I ... [keep reading]
3 Ways to Encourage a Culture of Creativity in Your Home
My five-year old and I hosted a cooking show a few weeks ago. The Zoey + Mom Cooking Show had award-worthy viewership of 54 people on Instagram. Watch out MasterChef Junior, we make one killer quesadilla. One of the core values in our family is being intentional in our God-given creativity. You can often find us having dance parties, doing Dollar Store art projects, or playing the sound effects game—quick, ask your son to make a tiger sound. But it wasn’t always this way. The simplest ... [keep reading]
How Can You Help Your Children Discover Their Identity?
I’m an adoptive mom of eight children. Identity is often a conversation we have in our home. Where did I come from? Who do I look like? Do I have good characteristics that come from my first mom and dad? Do I have good characteristics that come from my adoptive family? As I watch my children wrestle with the answers to these questions, I am moved to also question my own identity. Who am I? Where do I come from? Am I of value to this world? Are my particular gifts and talents as good as ... [keep reading]
Where Does Your Courage Come From?
At vacation Bible school a few weeks ago, my four-year-old spontaneously marched on stage and joined the worship team in leading 150 adult volunteers and 100 children in worship. Having no practice, no idea what the motions were, and zero clue what he was singing, he led with bravado, much to my seven-year-old’s chagrin. Each evening that week, his generous teachers let him sneak up on stage and lead. He was proud of himself for his courage, and his dad and I were proud of him too (despite our ... [keep reading]
Is God Preparing You for a Season of Growth?
I’m going to be honest with you. I have never considered myself one to be good at gardening or claim the title “crazy plant lady,” yet here I am walking out into my yard to prune my plants. In the desire to make our home feel more welcoming, not only on the inside but the outside too, landscaping was inevitable. I had no experience with it. As a kid I did simple yard work chores, and so on every trip to the greenhouse, I would say to the salesperson, “I need something easy and maintenance free. ... [keep reading]
4 Ways to Encourage Conversation in the Car
“Wesley tried to kiss Abby on the lips today and got in big, big trouble.” My first grader declared these words as we drove to school one morning, and my grip on the steering wheel tightened. We’re only in first grade and talking about kissing already?! Despite the rash reaction I wanted to give, I took a deep breath and calmly asked my daughter, “What would you do if a boy tried that with you?” “I’d run away and tell a teacher.” Good girl, I thought and affirmed her choice with my ... [keep reading]
Discover the Simplicity and Joy of Family Devotions
Canned peaches. Frozen peas. Hamburgers with zero fixins’. The food was plain, just like the small house it was cooked in. But oh, how I loved dinnertime at my high school friend Cheryl’s house. I was always invited to stay for dinner, just like all the other neighborhood kids. Crammed around a small table with folding chairs, we would eat. I never minded the tight space, and I was never picky about the food. I loved dinner at Cheryl’s house because there was something different about her ... [keep reading]
3 Easy Ways You Can Encourage Your Child’s Spiritual Growth
When I look at my children, I see who God has created them to be. When I close my eyes, I envision them walking confidently toward their future while God’s blessings rain down upon them. Then I open my eyes to discover that they have not made their beds, my youngest hasn’t eaten anything but hot dogs for a week, and I have three phone calls from the school to return. Driving to church, we have to stop before we’ve reached the end of the driveway, so that two kids will stop “looking at each ... [keep reading]
How to Embrace the Back-to-School Season
It was my baby daughter’s first day of kindergarten, and I was a complete mess. Of course, I didn’t show my emotion as we waited at the bus stop. My daughter stood tall in the morning sunlight, her blond ponytail swinging as she sported her Elsa backpack and a proud smile. I smiled back and said how excited I was for her. Told her she would be amazing and make so many friends. But once she disappeared inside that big yellow bus, I turned on my heels and bawled the entire way back to my ... [keep reading]
How Attached is Your Child?
Oh, my goodness, he was shaking. He looked like he wanted to run in the opposite direction as fast as his legs could take him. While I had only known him a few weeks, this behavior was very abnormal for Dan-Moritz, the German teen living in my home. Up until this moment, he had been full of confidence and bravado. But it was 7:15 a.m., the first day of school. American high school. My husband had gotten him registered the week before. Dan knew how to open his locker, where to find his ... [keep reading]
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