We’re trying a little exercise at our house. If we begin to complain about something, we have to quickly name five things we are thankful for. I’m no proponent of parenting techniques that work for all kids at all times, so that’s not my intent here, but I think our little game says something about the reality of our hearts (I’ve written about this more at length before here). I see unthankfulness (and other negative thought processes) like a...
I remember getting scared of the dark as a little girl. I’d call for my mom, and she’d come and sing a little song based on Philippians 4:8. She hates for anyone to hear her voice, but to me it was the sweetest comfort. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these...
I woke up this Monday morning after a week of my kiddos being sick that blended into a weekend of fevers, coughs, and snotty noses. It wasn’t a pretty week for us and I wasn’t ready for a new one yet. Lord, help me be a slave to your Spirit today and not to my flesh. That was the only thing I could think of to pray over the day ahead. But something in that prayer–not in the words...
“After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him. Jesus said to them, “My time has not...
I like to collect the things I hear around our home and share them with you occasionally. They’re a little glimpse into my everyday life. Here’s my latest collection: YES, WE ARE WINNING AT HOMESCHOOL: Sarah (6) and I read about the birthplace of western civilization for history in homeschool. My parents came for lunch, and being a good homeschooling mom, I felt the need to prove that we’re actually learning something. Me: Sarah, tell Papa about the two...
For those of us who struggle with anxiety, the simplest situations send us into a tailspin of worry. For example, occasionally, I get a phone call or text on Sunday morning saying that someone is unable to serve with the children at church and we need to find a replacement. This used to make me very anxious, but God has been graciously working on my response to situations like these in the last few years. I’m trying to read...
