Do you struggle with getting that one-on-one time with your children? Here are some great, intentional ways to do just that!As a mom I want each of my children to feel that they are important to me. I want to spend time getting to know them and listening to anything they want to share with me. The problem is that as a single mom, my time is very limited. I want to have one on one time with each of my children but I struggle to actually get it done. This year I decided that I wanted to ... continue reading...
The Secret to Fulfillment in Motherhood
Motherhood is a very high and noble calling but it's not meant to be a total fulfillment. There is only one Source who can be that for us.I am all for encouragement. In fact, many have said they believe I have the gift of encouragement. But we need the hard words, too. I am most empowered by words that challenge my comfort. But there has been so much written on grace and "being OK with where you are", that there was a time I lost sight of what the Bible really says. Because it's NOT okay ... continue reading...
If I Was to Pick Only One New Book to Read This Year
We all have that one book that just stands out from the rest. Today, I'm sharing my choice.The hidden years.That's how I referred to them.And we're not talking only two or three years either.More like decades.Most of the time it didn't bother me much. I was too busy looking after little kids, cleaning up messes, and trying to make sense of the trials that kept coming our way.But sometimes....sometimes I felt so hidden that I was afraid I'd disappear altogether.And ... continue reading...
3 Steps to Battle Bickering in Your Home
Do your children struggle with constant bickering? What can you do to combat this?I am a peacemaker.The middle child. An only daughter between two sons.Mostly what I want is peace and for everyone to like each other. To get along. Which is good, right?Except for one thing: I've this tendency to avoid confrontation, close my eyes tightly, and earnestly wish the strife would just go away.Because, you see, not only do I hate fighting in others - I don't like fighting in ... continue reading...
Growing Old And Fat with A Side of Happy
What does growing old look like for you? Is it something you dread or a time you cherish?When I first met him in college, I weighed 115 pounds. So did he –except his 115 pounds was spread over a 6’ 1” frame. We could eat whatever and however much we wanted, and our flaming metabolisms licked up all of those calories before they could make any impact on our waistlines.Yesterday that man of mine invited me on a lovely anniversary date. I chose Echo Lake café, because nothing says love ... continue reading...
9+ Biographical Picture Books to Inspire Your Kids
I have always loved a good fairytale. Many excerpts from The Chronicles of Narnia or The Princess and the Goblin can still give me goose bumps. However, there is something really inspiring about true stories. Hearing the tale of a person who walked on the same planet I do and found the strength to do something heroic or unique, gives me courage for the story I’m living.Over the years, I’ve happened upon some really amazing stories captured in illustrated books. Some of them are old favorites ... continue reading...
How to Start Organizing When You Are Overwhelmed and Surrounded by Clutter
Life moves so fast. There are so many things that we, as moms, wives and business owners, are responsible for. How do we do it all? What do we do when our homes are a wreck and we feel overwhelmed by clutter? How do we start organizing when our whole house needs help? 7 STEPS TO START ORGANIZING I work with women all the time that feel overwhelmed. Some can't keep up with laundry. For some, their cabinets and closets are stuffed full. Some have piles they don't know what to do with. Paperwork ... continue reading...
Do Your Children Know What Delights You?
It was an average lunchtime conversation. I mentioned to my kids an upcoming speaking engagement I needed to prepare for and one of them piped up with an unexpected question. "How do you decide what things you are going to do, mom?" Their insight and interest, growing with age, catches me by surprise some days. So I pointed the question right back at them."What do you guys think? What do you think is the first thing mama does when she is trying to decide if she will take on something new ... continue reading...
12 Great Audiobooks for Family Road Trips
When I was young, family road trips were all about reading. Yes, there were the occasional stops at Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, or splashing your feet in the Pacific Ocean. But the miles between the stops were filled with turning the page. And in some cases, the pages turned as quickly as the wheels on the car.It wasn’t always quiet on our road trips. My brother would bring along joke books which he would spend hours reading out loud to us, whether we wanted it or not. (None of our ... continue reading...
A Beautiful Way to Strengthen Your Marriage {Big Summer Giveaway}
I'm not exactly sure when it started.But it seemed to come out of a long conversation that my husband and I had along with another couple who are close friends of ours.They'd long felt an underlying tension in their marriage and asked us if we could possibly help.We said we'd be glad to try.After they'd explained their particular situation. The ongoing frustration and hurt. The hidden conflict that seemed to spill over into more and more areas of their relationship....When ... continue reading...
How to Talk About Sex When Your Daughter Thinks It’s Gross
In the first two posts in this series, we talked about things not to say to your daughter when talking to her about sex and how your sexual perspective changes the way you talk to her about sexuality. In this final post in the series, we’re dealing with something many moms run into: discussing sex with a daughter who thinks it’s gross.If you think about it, hearing sex described for the first time IS a little gross – biologically speaking, anyway. When you’ve never thought about sexual ... continue reading...
Parenting Lessons from A Child’s Grocery Store Tantrum
It happened in front of the doughnut case. Need I say more?The mom was pushing the preschool-aged boy in the play-car grocery cart, while her husband and their older child walked along beside.“I want a doughnut!” declared the young child.Me too, buddy, I thought. Me too.The mom said no, and that is when the yelling began. It went something like this and lasted up and down every aisle of the grocery store from then on: “I want a doughnut! I want a doughnut! I want a ... continue reading...
