I grew up memorizing scripture verses like, “Judge not, that you be not judged." (Matthew 7:1 ESV) As I suspect many of you did. When I learned this verse, I found it a bit scary. Since God is the ultimate judge, I feared judging and then having to face God’s condemnation—talk about scary! Since I’m not a theologian, we aren’t going to consider whether my interpretation of scripture was correct. Instead, we’re going to look at how, in this verse, God is attempting to protect ... continue reading...
Don’t Let Young Women Flounder Alone as Mothers
We women need one another and it takes stepping out in courage to ask or offer help. Be the brave one. Young mothers need help. While we were doing some Christmas shopping, the conversation turned naturally to my daughter’s swollen belly. She was 25 years old and 23 weeks into her first pregnancy. She asked about the experience I had with giving birth and nursing a baby. I quietly told her stories and answered her questions as we checked off the list of what we needed in Target. The ... continue reading...
How to Free Your Kids from Feeling Entitled
I grew up the eldest of four kids. We had plenty, but there was not a lot of excess. My parents were very careful with their finances. Christmas was wonderful, but gifts were carefully chosen, not overdone, and sometimes purchased with creativity. I still remember one particularly moving Christmas. My younger brother had begged and longed for a bike---his first real big two-wheeler. He couldn’t wait to see what Christmas morning brought. Anticipation and excitement pulsated ... continue reading...
Why You Should Give Your Health a Fresh Start This Year
Don't believe the lie that you have to put your health on the back burner. Start fresh right now so you can feel your best! I love the feel of a fresh start and a new year. Although I don't merely make goals at the beginning of the year, I do use this time to evaluate what goals I met in the previous year and what I would like to freshen up for the coming year. I've always been a bit health conscious, even if I didn't put in the effort to be healthy. I know how difficult it can be with ... continue reading...
I Thought I Could Do It All…and Then I Had Kids!
How has life changed since having kids? A friend recently asked me, “How can I stay up late being intimate with my husband, and then get up early to have time with the Lord and to do some necessary things before we start the homeschool morning...and you know, cook, work, live...and then there's exercise, hah!” And the next morning it starts all over again! Perhaps you can identify with her or with another friend: “Before I had kids, I was organized, had energy and an exciting career. ... continue reading...
7 Books to Inspire a Love of God’s Word in the New Year
Reevaluating our priorities should be regular and always include getting back to the Bible. Sports weren’t really my thing growing up, but I did (and do) like to win. The desire to come out on top of something that didn’t involve hitting a ball or running probably contributed to my skill in the Bible trivia department. As a youngster, I could recite Bible stories by heart and flip to Malachi 1:9 before my Sunday Schoolmates. I am very thankful for the Bible knowledge I garnered as a ... continue reading...
Ready to Take the 100 Day Love-You-Better in the New Year Challenge?
Are you up for a love challenge? How did you and dad figure it out? How to love each other well? Because everyone around me makes it sound like it's awfully hard. So hard, it's nearly impossible. But it seems different with you and dad. It was a Wednesday and she and I were enjoying a Girls' Night together. Just her and me. This daughter who was not quite 20, but who has a strong heart and thinks deeply about such things. It was a good question. Not necessarily an easy one, ... continue reading...
The Most Life-Changing Habit for the New Year
Which habit do you want to carry into the next year? We were three hours into a family car trip during the Christmas holidays when my daughter pulled that card out of the box. It was a good question. Looking ahead to 2020, which habit would I choose to continue? My mind cataloged all the usual suspects: Exercise. Organization. Healthy eating. Financial fitness. I’d made small gains in each of these areas in 2019, and I knew I wanted to keep honing those habits. None of them, though, ... continue reading...
A Fresh Start Organizing Your Home
If organizing your home is your goal, here are some organizing tips that will give you the fresh start you need. #2020goals - Organize my home. Start now. On November 30, I was talking to a friend who mentioned we should do the 21-day Fix together in the new year. As I thought about it, I realized I had 21 days before we left to go out of town. I said, "Let's just do it now!" So we did. You know the best thing about it? I watched Autumn Calabrese, the creator of the program, share ... continue reading...
How to Make Christ the Center of Every Celebration
I never get tired of the magazines that show me pretty pictures of set tables, particularly the center. I recognize this longing in my womanly heart, to sit down at a dinner where the hostess has used chargers under the plates. I love those homemade place cards where my name is written in beautiful script. The silverware is perfectly set, with the tip of the knife almost touching the goblet and the fork resting on a pretty napkin. When I was young, I used to beg Mom if I could set the ... continue reading...
Protect Your Joy: How to Fill Your Heart No Matter the Circumstances
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 Joy. For many of us it is an elusive quality that we just can’t get a good grasp on. Is joy the same thing as happiness? Can I choose to be joyful, or am I overtaken by joy? It’s confusing. And there is no escaping the ides of joy at this time of year. Christmas is called the season of joy. I don’t know about you but there is a part of me ... continue reading...
Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles
Fall is my favorite season, but Christmas is my favorite holiday! For the last three years, though, I've had a hard time getting excited about Christmas. Well, I guess not just Christmas, but fall and winter in general. Christmas just happened to be a casualty by falling into the wrong set of seasons. When I was pregnant this last time around I just began to feel very overwhelmed with life, and those feelings of being overwhelmed manifested into not looking forward to any of the seasons that ... continue reading...