I have a confession to make: I'm not very consistent with family devotions. I always start off with the best of plans. I gather the materials and we get off to a good start, but somewhere along the way we always fizzle out. Sometimes, even when things are going well with the study, behaviors and attitudes get in the way. My boys don't sit still or pay attention. One of them falls off the bed while I'm trying to read that day's verses. And my attitude starts to stink because things aren't going ... continue reading...
For The Pastor’s Wife Who Needs A Listening Ear
Hey girls,I’ve been chatting with Lisa Jacobson, the beautiful proprietor of this website, because she’s been hearing from women who are pastor’s wives. “What about us?” you say. “What about how hard it is to be a pastor’s wife?”We hear you, and we get it. I’ve been a pastor’s wife for almost 14 years, and Lisa’s been a pastor’s wife for longer than that. We know the pressures it puts on your marriage, your kids, and your finances. We know the pain that can blindside you in ministry. We ... continue reading...
How to Help Your Fall-Apart Child…Pull It Together
Any advice for this weary mom? She was tired, discouraged, and a little disappointed. Wondered if she was doing it right.My friend went on to explain. Her 12-year-old daughter had been helping with the dishes since she was about three. But as their family size grew, she now had to handwash a few extra dishes, mainly pots and pans. Not too difficult of a chore.Except that she kept forgetting. And had to be called back to the sink to do them.And 100% of the time she threw a crying ... continue reading...
When You Bring Baggage Into Your Marriage
Do you ever say things in the heat of the moment you wish you could take back? Words that you wonder where in the world they come from at that moment? The effects can be devastating. At the very least they can cut deeply. But sometimes they can do irreparable damage to a marriage.I think sometimes these words can stem from our own deep rooted fears. The fear is subconscience or perhaps never verbalized. Until one day it comes to a head out of nowhere.It is so important we take ... continue reading...
Eight Sweet Love Stories That Will Make You Laugh
If you’re like me, sometimes you’re in the mood for a sweet love story to make you laugh. After all, life can be hard, and laughter is the best medicine (Proverbs 17:22).I highlight some of my favorite funny but romantic reads below. Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or prefer a more contemporary setting, the clean, classy love stories listed here are sure to make you giggle as you read.If you like books by Jan Karon--such as her hilarious Mitford series--then you might like ... continue reading...
Define Your Role as A Wife for Maximum Joy
One of our readers called me sexist the other day. I actually understood where she was coming from, and I think many of you would agree with her, so I thought we could have a rich conversation about it here.This comment was in response to a post I wrote called 38 Best Bits of Marriage Advice A Woman Could Get. In this post I talked a lot about things a woman can do for her husband, such as making sure he has clean socks and underwear in his drawer and offering herself to him in the bedroom ... continue reading...
When You Really Want to Know What’s Next: Learning to Trust His Lead
It's not always easy to trust in what we cannot see. But God wants to build our faith by our willingness to walk when we can't see every step.We loaded the car early in the morning and our weekend road trip began. With kids ages 4, 6, 8 and 12 now, we seem to have finally arrived at the perfect age for road trips. This was going to be great.I have had just enough experience with family getaways to understand the wisdom in keeping plans loose. We would be meeting extended family at ... continue reading...
8 Simple Laundry Solutions That Work
Laundry doesn't need to be dreadful or drawn out. These great ideas will help you keep it under control.Here is a little secret...I kind of enjoy laundry. But, as a professional organizer in people's homes, I have seen that laundry can be the most overwhelming, despised task of all time. Today I share 8 simple laundry solutions that work in our home in hopes that one of them will help you with your laundry. 1. Place a donate bin in the laundry room. Placing a "donate" bin in, or near, ... continue reading...
Why We Need to Seriously Talk To Our Daughters About Sexuality
Young girls are learning about sexuality from their peers and internet. It's crucial moms are a bigger part of that conversation than the world is.At the age of twelve, I discovered a coverless book at a garage sale.Thinking it was a Nancy Drew or Boxcar Children, I opened it halfway through – but it was an erotic romance novel. I was exposed to sinful sex before I even knew what sex was.I spent the next eight years burdened by guilt and shame. I struggled with sexual sin and ... continue reading...
4 Ways Comparison is Healthy for Spiritual Growth
Comparing ourselves to others or what others have can be destructive. But what if there's a healthy comparison, too?We have all heard it said that we should not compare ourselves to others. This is mostly true. It is unhealthy to stress about the fact that our home is not as neat as someone else's, or that we have not nursed our babies as long as others did (or not at all), or that we don’t make the same kind of “healthy” meals for our families as our friends do.This kind of ... continue reading...
12 Marriage Books You’re Definitely Going to Love
I was the hopelessly romantic teenager who read every book that I could get my hands on about relationships and marriage. The fact that I was already falling in love with the man who would be my husband made me an observant student of the marriages around me.I read voraciously in an attempt to equip myself with even more knowledge about the mystery of marriage.Even as I laughed at the appropriate word pictures of Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti, I nodded at the wisdom of ... continue reading...
Where to Turn When Life Is Sucking the Hope Out of You
I'd rather have coffee with you.Then you could tell me all about this. This thing that is sucking the hope and life out of you right now.I can't see you, nor can I hear your full story through this screen at the moment, but I'm going to read between the lines if you'll let me.You're tired of trying to do the right thing in the face of all you're going through. You don't know how to make it stop. You've wracked your brain for weeks/months/years, trying to think of who or what ... continue reading...