God Believes Women: The Bible Story I Tell My Girls
It is the best of times to be female and it is a lousy time to be female. But mostly the best, with only a trace of lousy. As everyone attempts to define women, decide their rankings and judge t…
Parenting
Raising Confident Kids
He turned his melty brown eyes to look at me as he confessed the saddest moment of his day. A kid in his class had done the unthinkable. They had called him a baby. I tried to pull off a …
Why I Didn’t Cry on the First Day of Preschool
I'm tempted to think it is because I am an unemotional, cold-hearted jerk. Maybe you are tempted to think it is because I never carried him in my belly and my attachment is not as strong.…
8 Tips for a (More) Organized School Morning
Whether our kids are in favor or not, most of us are waving goodby to a carefree summer. Schedule and routine are about to become the norm again. (This is me high-fiving you for surviving another summ…
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…
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…
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 …