Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. — Colossians 4:6 Thought for the Day: The reason I can give grace is because I so desperately need it. I like this verse. I really do. As a matter of fact, I’ve challenged my Proverbs…
F is for Fall Fun
Fall is my favorite season! I think I’d go in mourning if I ever had to move to an area of the world that doesn’t experience the crisp, cool breezes and vibrant colors and scents of autumn! What’s not to love? There are so many wonderful things to experience and eat during the fall—everything from…
How to Make Great Friends
Why is making friends so hard sometimes? I went through a season of my life where I felt like I had no friends. I had great relationships growing up, in college, and even in my post-college single days. However, after I transitioned to a stay-at-home mom and moved to the suburbs, I looked around and…
Messy Endings
I have won several awards for my music, but one award I’m pretty sure I’ll never be nominated for is Mother of the Year. Take for example one Wednesday morning when Josie was thirteen months old. We woke up late for a Bible study I was leading with only enough time to get one of…
Why Our Morning Routines Matter to God
I am not a morning person by nature. Like many moms, there are plenty of days when I’d rather lounge in bed instead of rising, shining, and greeting my family with a healthy breakfast and a sunny smile. But I’ve learned that if we want to be the women that God calls us to be,…
5 Ways to Help Kids with Back to School Anxiety
Do your kids suffer from back to school anxiety? My two older children are both in grade school. Neither had experienced any type of school anxiety before, even when entering Kindergarten. I’ll never forget standing outside of my son’s Kindergarten classroom and thinking “WOAH, that was way easier than I thought!” Then, last year we…
The Benefits of Journaling for the Young and Old
The Benefits of Journaling for the Young and Old I’m amazed at the things I forget because I don’t write them down. I am not just talking about what I need to do on a particular day or week; I’m referring to beautiful things God has done in my life and the truth I have…
Eating Healthy as a Family
Eating Healthy as a Family My husband and I always call ourselves “foodie wannabes.” We’ll see a new modern restaurant and put it on our date night list, but then when we look at the menu, we realize we’re just not that fancy and end up at one of our three favorite casual places. You…
Stop Driving Your Kids Crazy
Stop Driving Your Kids Crazy One of the most important opportunities we have as parents is the opportunity to teach our children genuine mercy. This teaching begins with us. Our treatment of our kids is the first place they learn about mercy and forgiveness, and so it is one of the most powerful and enduring…
Lights Out! Transitioning from Summer to School Year Bedtimes
It’s hard to believe summer is almost over. The long days of summer bring endless activities that satisfy my children’s thirst for fun. There is always something to do or somewhere to go. But the later evenings (and more hours of sunlight) make our bedtimes unpredictable and blurred, often pushed back in the chase of…