When the Coronavirus first began spreading, our daughter Virginia—who lives in New York City—decided that she should evacuate and come social distance with us. That sounded like a good plan to me; Virginia is a lot of fun, and she’s always full of ideas. One of her ideas, as she left New York, was to swing by the SPCA and pick up a kitten. Five months later, we were still working from home—my husband and I, two of our four adult children, our one-year-old puppy, and the cat. Everyone ... continue reading...
10 Books Your Teens Will Treasure for Years
Looking for some books for your teens to treasure? I grew up in the church. I knew the Bible studies from hours in Sunday school. I knew how Jesus died for my sins. I knew how Ruth found Boaz. I even knew about the left-handed judge and his brave deeds. (Since I am left-handed, it was one of my favorite stories.) But it took Biblical fiction for me to feel the death of Jesus and the cost of being his follower. I read The Robe when I was 10. I was told by our local, well-intentioned, ... continue reading...
How to Stand in Seasons of Uncertainty
In the midst of uncertainty, lean into the One who is certain. I’ve always found the what-if questions to be more difficult to navigate than the now what. Both are tough to traverse and speak loudly of difficult times. But now what is, at the very least, a place to start from, stand on, or surrender. All sorts of verbs can begin there. But what if? That one slows your stride, tips the scales with caution, or halts movement altogether. What if I never do get married? Never get a better ... continue reading...
The Best Books to Read in the First Few Months with a New Baby
Life with a new baby means slowing down as you're focused on recovery and mothering in those early months. Why not do a little reading? I gave birth to my baby girl on a Saturday evening in April, little knowing that long weeks of recovery lay ahead of me. Post-birth complications meant I could do little during the first several weeks of her life besides feeding her, hold her---and read. During those weeks that turned into months, I leaned heavily on family to take care of the house, take ... continue reading...
How to Have a Quiet Time When You Have No Time
I feel like I have to choose. That's what she said to me, and I could see it weighed heavily on her. It's either Bible time or exercise. I can't seem to do both! And boy! Did I understand that dilemma. She probably thought I'd say it was an easy call (um, Bible time?), and in some ways, it is. But I’m not without sympathy when it comes to making tough decisions with a limited amount of time. She's a young mom with young kids, so that comes with its own challenges. But I think she'd ... continue reading...
Why Having a Poor Attitude of Your Husband Actually Matters
A wife whose attitude toward her husband is poor will not reap a healthy relationship with him. At the end of September, my husband ran an ultra-marathon. An ultra-marathon is any distance over a marathon (26.2 miles). The particular distance he signed up to run was 50 miles. Straight through. One simple reason: he wanted to see if he could do it. Although the training sometimes took him away from the family, I saw it as a noble goal even though I didn't fully understand it. I do understand ... continue reading...
What To Do When Your Child Is Not Walking With God
What do you do when you have a child who isn't walking with God? When you thought you did everything "right"? I don’t think I attended church one time during all of my college years except when my roommate invited me to watch her sing in a choir one Sunday. All I remember was STRUGGLING harder than ever to stay awake because I had been out late the night before. It was painful. After college, I started working in an office and met another new hire. She was bubbly and fun and we immediately ... continue reading...
20 Delightful Picture Books Your Little Ones Will Love
It can be challenging to wade through millions of books to find those delightful picture books your children will love. Here is a list to get you started! “How are you planning to get all these books to your car?” the librarian eyed my baby and my toddler with skepticism. I confidently showed her my backpack and she replied, “We can use a cart to help you get the books out to your car.” I did manage to get the books and my children out to the car on my own, just like every other time. (I ... continue reading...
A Prayer for My Son’s Someday Bride-to-Be
I can tell you the exact moment I began praying for our son's bride-to-be. Maybe not the month. Or even the year. But definitely the moment. I'm sure there must have been a context of some kind, but most of those details have faded and now all I can remember are the words that he said. "I want the kind of wife who would be able to pull an arrow out of my back. That kind of woman." He was only 11 or 12 years old at the time, so why he would be thinking such thoughts I'll never ... continue reading...
How to Stay Connected as a Couple in Troubled Times
When times get difficult, a couple needs to be intentional about connecting. But how? She quickly explained that although her marriage wasn't "on fire," her heart was heavy, and she had real concerns. Her husband had so much to do just to keep their business afloat in this difficult year. She did her best to be supportive and understanding as he worked day and night to (barely) make ends meet. Besides, she had her hands full too, adjusting to the new baby while navigating ... continue reading...
When Turning Around Is the Best Thing
Sometimes in order for us to grow forward, it requires turning around and looking back. Looking back is not a popular practice today. In fact, we are told often to keep moving forward, to press on, to reach for the golden ring or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. To run the race, to never look back. Going back holds a lot of negative connotations, not only in our day but also in Scripture. Look Back or Look Ahead? The apostle Paul said, But one thing I do: forgetting what lies ... continue reading...
Why Your Marriage Should Never Leave the Honeymoon Phase
The honeymoon phase is fading out of marriages. I recently read a statistic - divorces are more common between years 1-2 and 5-8. The most common reason for divorce is irreconcilable differences, but here are the top three specific reasons that were listed: Lack of commitment Adultery Too much conflict/arguing Josh and I just celebrated 17 years of marriage. Did we beat the stats? Numerically, of course, we would say, “Yes!” However, I would expand that to say that ... continue reading...