I think you'd fall in love with her.Once you met her, you just wouldn't be able to help it.Because there's something so sweet and so inviting about her smile and the way she looks at you.And once you started talking with her, you probably wouldn't even notice the wheelchair or how her limbs aren't quite straight. Or that her speech is somewhat slurred.You'd forget that she can't walk and that she has a tendency to say the same thing over and over again.All of that doesn't ... continue reading...
Seven Tips for Helping Your Adult Kids Through Struggles
When our adult kids struggle through trials, how can we support them? How can we help them along without helping them too much?With both of our kids married and out of the house, you would think life would be a breeze these days. But my oldest and her husband have faced health issues in the last year and a half, with the financial squeeze that comes with appointments and diagnostics. Our baby and his new bride are about to graduate from college and are feeling the pressure of ... continue reading...
How to Overcome Being That Yelling Mom
Are you a yelling mom? Here is some encouragement on how to overcome being a yeller.Nobody would have pegged me for a yeller.I wouldn't have guessed it either. Maybe my memory is faulty, but I don't remember ever having shouted before - except perhaps at a college football game or catching a friend's attention across the parking lot.Other than that, I'd say I'm a fairly soft-spoken person.But something seemed to have happened once I had small children. Yeah, it's like ... continue reading...
Who Else Wants To Break Up With Comparison?
Do you want to dump the comparison trap? I do. For good.I've struggled with the comparison trap for years. Every accomplishment or lack thereof was made bittersweet by the grip of comparison.In high school, I compared myself to others based on grades, clothing, the points I scored in a basketball game or the friends I had. How Comparison Robs Us In adulthood, I compared myself based on the state of my home, the goals I accomplished (or didn't), or the way my kids behaved. If I forgot a ... continue reading...
How To Count It ALL Joy
How do the little irritations add up day after day, robbing you of your joy? I felt the irritation rising in me, again. Another interruption during our read-aloud time and another fit from the two-year-old had me breathing out, “Jesus, I need your help,” again.In these years of raising small children, it’s easy for me to live with a low-level irritated spirit. What I mean is, it’s easy to let all the little irritations of life affect my spirit, and I end up just plain irritated. With ... continue reading...
Why Younger Women Need Titus 2 Women & Snickerdoodle Cookies
Years ago I did something out of the norm for me.One of the women who lived in my area that I had met through my blog was hosting a homemaking and hospitality class. She was asking on Facebook if there were any women interested in a class on making homemade bread.The out of the norm thing for me was signing up for the class. I just don't do things like that...put myself out there, that is. However, I had been praying for God to bring godly women into my life who I could be friends with ... continue reading...
10 Tips on How to Build a Strong Lifetime Marriage
Is it really possible to build a strong, lifetime marriage? What does that look like?I walked into the room and immediately sensed I was interrupting a very intimate moment.Matt's parents were sitting across from each other at their old kitchen table and softly whispering to one another.I could tell my mother-in-law was having one of her "good" moments -- which were increasingly rare in those days -- and recognized Dad as the man she had married. He wasn't that "kind stranger" ... continue reading...
When It’s Hard to Hope
Fifteen months after my daughter was delivered directly to heaven, I was finally pregnant again. Fifteen months can feel like fifteen years when healing and hurt and hope are surging stiff through your veins. But we were finally here. Two pink lines on a stick. Glory.And fear. When Fear Grips It’s surprising how badly you can want something and yet how scared you can feel when it finally arrives. The questions came fast. What if it happens again? Should we even tell anyone? Maybe we should ... continue reading...
20 Books to Capture the Imagination of the Boys in Your Life
Do you offer the boys in your life a great variety of adventurous reads to expand their imagination?Don’t try this at home, but I have it on good authority that it’s possible to drive a riding lawn mower and read simultaneously. I never actually saw him do it, but apparently, my brother was known to enjoy a good book while cutting grass at a local church. (My parents put a stop to this escapade when it was discovered. But it does seem like a good use of time, provided nothing is damaged in ... continue reading...
Did You Know Your Ordinary Things Have Extraordinary Purpose?
The kitchen table in our house seems so...ordinary.We bought it a few years ago, used, from a couple in the next town over. A few dents could be seen in the light pine wood if the light hit it just right, and the color on the 8 wicker chairs that accompanied it had drastically faded, but none of that bothered us. We just needed something to fill the space in our dining area, yet somehow, this ordinary table has filled up so much more of our hearts.We brought the table into the home we ... continue reading...
When You Feel Stuck, What Else Could Be True?
The other day I was sharing with my own life coach how my current project has turned into a mountain. I was overwhelmed. I felt stuck."It will never be done by my deadline. I had to add over 20 additional time-consuming tasks to my list. Now I have to push my whole schedule back. I am forced to do so many other things I hadn't planned."And on and on.She noticed the drama in the way I was talking and brought it to my attention.I continued to tell her, "But, those are just facts. ... continue reading...
When Being An Excellent Wife is Too Hard
Can I really be an excellent wife? What happens when it's too hard?I recently addressed the question, "Why Should I Be an Excellent Wife?" and the short of it is this: because we should want to honor God by honoring our husbands. Yet sometimes that can seem like such an overwhelming concept.We often carry the misconception of what it means to be excellent; such as being an excellent wife means being a perfect wife.We can also believe being excellent will look the same for every ... continue reading...
