I initially thought I’d put a tagline on the title–something like, Parenting Your Kids Away from Selfishness–but then I thought, ya know, these concepts are really for everyone. For the first time in several years, I’m not teaching a summer course for Regent U. At first, I wasn’t overly excited, since I get paid per […]
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5 Things To Do In Front Of Your Kids & 5 Things to Avoid

Corbin often comes up to me, asking, “Mommy, will you play a game with me?” Although I love to play games, I have to force myself to relinquish my to-do list and sit down in the middle of the afternoon to play cards or Checkers. I know full well that game playing is my son’s […]
Reliance vs. Responsibility

“If our identity is in our work, rather than Christ, success will go to our heads, and failure will go to our hearts.” ~Timothy Keller In case you haven’t already figured this out, I write for myself as much as I write for my readers. Whatever “lesson” I’m learning, I’m still in the process of […]
- Parenting
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Dear Pinterest Mom,

Dear Pinterest Mom, Yesterday I spent more time than I really had trying to get my Pinterest site caught up and more professional. Honestly, the whole process confused and exhausted me: I still don’t know how to embed a meta tag or configure my website, but anyway…. How does one navigating the sea of Pinterest […]
- Emotions
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Finding Happiness

Naturally a pessimistic and skeptical person, I’ve struggled to maintain my hold on joy. Life often feels like a grind we just survive through till we can get to eternity and really relax. Obviously, Christ didn’t promise us a life free from pain–quite the opposite actually–but even so, He offers us satisfaction and contentment, joy […]
- Emotions
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Joy, I Miss You, But I Feel Guilty Around You Too

A few days ago, Jon Acuff posted of picture of himself in Austria, skiing these gorgeous slopes. Under the photo, he shared this: “I didn’t ski for 11 years. I grew up going in Massachusetts but then it was like I forgot something that gives me joy. Part of it was our stage of life, […]
- Perspective
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Debunking the Myth of Minimalism & the Mess-Free Home

This isn’t a post about how to have a mess-free home or why decluttering will save your soul. As I write, I can look over my shoulder and see sticker pads on the floor and Legos stacked in the corner. My desk is piled up with books and coloring pages and papers to grade. Shoes […]
And to all a Goodnight: Tips to Sleeping Better

Gayle Greene, author of Insomniac, says that “sleep is the fuel of life. It’s nourishing; it’s restorative. And when you are deprived of it, you are really deprived of a basic kind of sustenance.” Although we’d rank sleep up there with water, food, and shelter, we often act like it’s the least important–easily dismissed–aspect of our […]
- Rest
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Avoiding the Busyness Trap: Reset and Replenish

At Bible study yesterday, a sweet sister said, “I need this time! I’d rather come to this than get a massage.” We laughed but concurred that the group time of discussion ministered to our spirits in ways that nothing else that week did. In our time of community we are prioritizing the need for discipleship, […]
How to Keep the Sabbath with Young Kids

“Now I think that the principle in the New Testament is that God ordains that one day in seven be restful. I think that’s a creation ordinance for our good, for our health.” —John Piper Growing up a daughter to a Baptist preacher, I thought I knew what it was to “remember the Sabbath day […]