Independence Day with our family is about as cliché as cliché gets! It’s family, food and fireworks. In typical Texas fashion, the weather will be scorching hot. We will head over to my in-law’s home and the older kids will immediately run into the backyard and jump in the swimming pool. The toddlers will beg for…
8 Tips for Maintaining a Family Summer Schedule
Keeping a family summer schedule can be sanity-saving and yet tough to maintain at the same time. Summer is a wonderful break from academic routines and along with the warmer weather and more hours of sunlight each day comes the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors more frequently. If you are like our family, much of…
4 Fun Ideas for Summer Bucket Lists
Tomorrow, June 21, marks the first day of summer (for those of us here in the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere), and this year we will be celebrating with a Summer Bucket List pajama party! We will be wearing our PJ’s all day and sleeping in after the rooster crows (hopefully…
Celebrating an Untraditional Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is approaching and, as a mom, you would think I’d be excited. Don’t judge me when I say, “I’m not”. This isn’t a case of false martyrdom or not being happy with the gifts I’ve received over the past decade. If I’m being completely honest, I have difficulty celebrating myself. Perhaps it can…
Moms, You Are Never Alone: Abiding in Christ
A while back a friend of mine got a dog to help her adjust to the empty nest of the school year, with her last child going off to elementary school. To say a few things changed when Marley arrived is an understatement. Here’s a series of Facebook posts that followed in the days…
Holy Week Activities for Kids
The days and week before Easter, also known as Holy Week, can be a wonderful time of encouraging children to understand the significance of the days before Christ’s crucifixion and the resurrection. Holy Week, also known as Passion Week, is the week before Easter, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending on Easter. Today we are focusing on…
Telling the Easter Story and Jesus’ Resurrection with Eggs
It’s been a tradition in Christian families for years to us plastic eggs to teach children the meaning of Easter and the story of Jesus’ resurrection. While there are many Christian stores that sell the Resurrection Egg (TM) kits, I’ve found that making them on your own is fairly easy if you have the time…
Prayer and Marriage: Putting God First
On our wedding night, Nancy and I knelt by the side of the bed in our bridal suite and prayed. We didn’t know it then, but that night we began to lay a foundation of regular prayer together that has made an indescribable difference in our marriage. I wish I could tell you that I…
Remembering Jesus This Christmas Despite the Mess
Our family is in the middle of a major renovation. We broke ground in June, hoping it would be completed by Thanksgiving. Our plans include a mudroom, an open concept kitchen, updated bathrooms, and much needed storage for our 1930s home. We are still weeks away from completion and I find myself hoping for a…
Four Ways Families Can Keep Christ In Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – the Christmas season is here! Everywhere we turn, the sights, sounds, and wonders of Christmas surround us ready to captivate our family’s hearts. Have you noticed as you drive around town how your children’s eyes fill with wonder as they gaze at the spectacularly lit…