Three Unconventional Ways My Dad Modeled God
Growing up, I watched him open Father's Day cards like a classic North American dad and I told him I loved him on a weekly/monthly basis. Probably. If you don't count a few of the teen years. I did…
Our Failed Adoption: Why Parents Should Never Compare
The van ride was warm and bumpy but at least we had no air conditioning whatsoever. The kids fiddled with our camera, taking videos of shanties and clothes drying on bushes until the tiny to…
What Every Kid Needs to Know about Their Identity
Nicknames are a sign of affection and most of mine have a few that have come and gone over the years. But one kid in particular has had many, many. And most of them at his own insistence. When h…
Favorite Parenting Strategies of a Big Family
From time to time, the kids in my house behave poorly. And by time to time, I mean every few seconds. Which is totally endearing and life-giving all at the same time. The only thing more fru…
Long and Short: Parenting Beyond This Exact Moment
"Hey little brother, sneak into big brother's room. He has candy. Get some for us." What would you have done if you were around the corner from that discussion? Intervened? What a grea…
Parenting Your First Kid Vs. Parenting Your Last
"I don't know what's more exhausting about parenting: the getting up early, or acting like you know what you're doing." -Jim Gaffigan My Sweet and I have seven kids. And because th…
The Book List: 2017
Some memoirs, a true murder mystery, a few disappointments, a kick-in-the-butt and a few stepping stones for my parenting journey. I scoffed at my yearly goal to read twelve books by sneaking in a few…
Simple Ways to Keep Jesus the Focus of Christmas
The person who said they needed more things to fill up their December calendar was a liar. A fictional liar. Does your family need more to do this month? Yeah, no. Ours doesn't either. We want …
ReThinking Christmas
Christmas Love One year it was so tall and round we had to keep whittling away at the base so we could stand it up in our entrance. The living room didn't stand a chance to host it that year. Big …
Your Kids Will Benefit from This One Thing for the Rest of Their Lives
It was a life jolt, one of the few experiences I can point to as a Game Changer. It rattled me then and it rattles me still, affecting all of the months and years in between. Out of the country for…