Because the kids spent the night with grandparents into Labor Day, I had the rare opportunity to wake up to an empty house Monday and then spend the whole day alone. I can’t recall when that happened–not one person for 8 whole hours. The house was so quiet, I heard noises I’m not usually able […]
Parenting
Helping Your Kids Deal with Stress
Everyone’s heard of our natural response to stressful situations with the “fight or flight” mode. When our adrenal glands overwork, our liver dumps extra sugar into our system, the hormone epinephrine fuels the body, the heart rate accelerates and the lungs work harder (Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology). But what happens when we can’t […]
What I Learned from Wild Kratts and the Musk Ox
Life can be harsh and unrelenting and sometimes the cold is just too much for one person–or ox–to face alone. My boys love watching Wild Kratts, and the other day I overheard an interesting fact about the musk ox (a goat-like animal that lives in the arctic regions). When wolves or frigid temperatures overwhelm the […]
Common Sense Has Left the Building
Imagine your neighbor comes over and plants a rose seedling in your yard. You don’t notice it right away, but even after you do see it start to develop and grow, you think, “Man, this isn’t a convenient time to have a rose bush. What do I know about growing and maintaining roses and do […]
Getting Your Kids to Think Deeper
The things my children say–and I in response to them–would never have crossed my imagination prior to having offspring of my own. You just can’t believe the quirky quips they toss….without even trying. At lunch time last week, my youngest–and most talkative–assessed the items on his plate. “What is this orange thing here?”My response: “Um, […]
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Contemplating Halloween
Last year on October 31st, my daughter and I sat in the dentist’s office: she was in the hot seat, while I waited on the bench against the window. Nonchalantly, her dentist asked her, “So, what are you going to be for Halloween?” Knowing we no longer participated in the holiday, she just glanced at […]
Powerful Women Are God’s Plan Too
If you are a mild-mannered woman who delights in sewing baby clothes and reading to your children, rarely disagrees with her husband or others, and doesn’t carry ambitious goals, this post may not connect with you, but if you find your drive competing with your passions, regularly speak out against injustice and sin, and people […]
Balancing Encouragement with Critiques
The other night, I vented to my husband about some doubts and frustrations I was wrestling through regarding one of our children and his learning style. “I don’t want to dumb down the work because he’s having meltdowns, catering to his emotions and laziness, because I know he can do it…he just doesn’t want to. […]
7 Life-Saving Emotional Hacks for Worn-out Moms
“Mom. Mom. Mom?” My five-year-old has somehow turned my name into a nerve-grating curse word. Although I try to smile and respond with patience, my husband will chuckle because he knows…oh man, does he know. Sometimes we just need to hear our name–our real name–and not have a sticky hand patting our shoulder for attention. […]
Amusing Moments for Dad: Yes, You Are Appreciated!
Okay, let’s be real honest here: fathers often get the rotten piece of the pie. That doesn’t even make sense (who has had rotten pie?), but you know what I mean. The masses applaud moms and say, “Thanks for making the sacrifices, thanks for always being there, thanks for loving me when I wasn’t lovable,” […]