I remember walking into church, and an older woman caught up to me. I could tell she was upset. She told me that she and her husband had their oldest daughter over to the house, and the visit didn’t go so well. They tried to talk to her about family, her career, the grandkids—anything to get her to open up about her life. Nothing seemed to work. She looked at me and said, “I don’t… … Continue reading
Dear Pregnant Woman, I see you next to me at the store, at the office, and walking down the street. I can see the stress across your face and in your hunched shoulders. I can see the exhaustion hiding in the circles under your eyes. How I wish I could hug you and tell you to relax and just enjoy this time, these nine months of everything changing. I promise you that they may seem… … Continue reading
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV) As child, I was sexually violated by an adult male who… … Continue reading
“Miscarriage is so common, it happens all the time.” I have heard this many times in the years since my first miscarriage, and again in the weeks since my second. Yeah, I get it, this happens a lot. Does knowing this fact make it any easier? No. Does knowing this negate the horrible way I feel about it? No. Does knowing this stop the onslaught of tears at random times during the day? Nope. In… … Continue reading
It’s Father’s Day week! Hurray for this video showing a positive portrayal of dads! As a dad, I love what TDAmeritrade did with this commercial. I am often frustrated by the way our media represents fathers. There is Homer Simpson from The Simpsons TV Show, Daddy Pig from Peppa Pig, and who could forget Al Bundy and Archie Bunker? Oh, there are so many more bad examples of fathers. We need more videos like this… … Continue reading
Pressure \ pres sure \ noun: A series of urgent claims or demands exerting a strong force on someone, causing a burdensome condition under which it is hard to hold up. Feeling some pressure as a parent? Do I even need to ask? I recently did a Google search on the phrase “how to parent,” and about 590,000,000 sites showed up. Then I googled “how to raise children,” and 385,000,000 sites appeared. I hope you’re… … Continue reading
My children loved watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood on TV and if I’m honest, his quiet deliberate way of talking about life had a calming effect on me, too. The former Presbyterian pastor’s warm smile, compassionate heart and friendly puppets were convincing to viewers that he, indeed, did “like you just the way you are.” But in June of 1990, when I was 36 and our daughters 8, 10 and 12 were no longer Mister Rogers’… … Continue reading
The most popular post on my blog is one I wrote last year called, The Number One Sign Your Kids are Just Borrowing Your Faith (and Not Developing Their Own). That post has been read by more than 80,000 people and shared almost 14,000 times. Clearly it resonated deeply with people. So what was the sign that your kids are just “borrowing” your faith? They rarely, if ever, ask questions about it. Many parents wrote… … Continue reading
I’m ready to leave the shop, but one thing stands in my way—the door. Not exactly a formidable barrier, but the odds are against me. My preschooler is running in circles, while my toddler pulls at my left hand; my right hand grips this terribly unwieldy baby carrier. Inside the carrier is my infant daughter. She is hungry and tired and howling. My purse is falling off one shoulder, my diaper bag off the other.… … Continue reading
I woke up early this morning praying and decided to write a challenge for husbands to pray over their wives more intentionally this year. So here you go, men! You’ll never love your wife more than when you pray for her. Humbling yourself before an all-powerful God and asking Him to do what only He can in her life – that’s a level of intimacy beyond anything the world has to offer. Praying for her… … Continue reading
