Gaining a heart of wisdom
For me, Round One was not such that I would have predicted a mushy Father’s Day blog post in my future. (Who would have ever predicted blogs, anyway?) My experience with this Hallmark holiday was aptly described by author, Leslie Leyland Fields: “Some will turn away from thirty minutes at the card rack empty-handed and sad.” Then,… Continue reading Father’s Day {Redeemed}
When Morin Boy #1 was born into this family, I went into immediate mothering overdrive. Every book, every magazine, every radio program that featured parenting experts: I was there. My sleep-deprived brain was, apparently, incapable of filtering out all the contradictory thinking, so one week I would try someone's advice that sounded great, and when… Continue reading Eight Parenting Strategies
Feed the cat. Pick up your toys. Let's get in the car and GO! Such is our hurry-up world that even the tiniest toddler knows what it is to be Busy, Busy. Therefore, Eileen Spinelli's board book is a tool in the hands of wise parents who know that our work, our rest, and our… Continue reading Never Too Busy
"What's that, Mum?" asked my son, pointing to a small plastic something-on-the- ground. "That's just a barrette," I replied, off-handedly. "What's a barrette?" he asked -- framing in one simple question the deeply entrenched boy-culture and the essence of the testosterone-laced air that I have breathed for the past two decades. With this as background,… Continue reading The Art of Being a Wife
You're sitting around a table at your favorite restaurant. The kids are just cleaning up their plates; you're fiddling with the debit card, when along comes the little lady with the big smile and the kind eyes. "I just have to tell you how much I enjoyed seeing your children this evening . . ." she begins,… Continue reading Raising Uncommon Kids
There are times when our kids surprise us -- or even surpass us -- with their insight. This was certainly the case with my youngest son: "It's too much," he said. "I've got all this music to learn for honors band. I'm buying a sheep. I want to work with Cyprus (his 4-H heifer). I'm… Continue reading Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy
From time to time, I experiment with timelessness by taking off my watch. That naked wrist feels as daring and vulnerable as a bathing suit in a January blizzard, while every glance to check the time quickens my pulse to the rhythm of the question that my heart needs to hear: What’s your hurry? Contriving… Continue reading What’s Your Hurry?
My heart is becoming more elastic these days – not tougher, I hope, but more willing to be stretched, more willing to love on less-than-ideal terms, to accept conditions that I would not prefer, and to take the risk of loving anyway. As happens so often, the Apostle Paul is leading the way, and I… Continue reading For a Short Time
What do you call a dentist who cleans an alligator's teeth? That's a great question to ponder on a car trip or a plane ride or a lazy, rainy Saturday, and it's just one of the many jokes and riddles found in Rob Elliot's and Jonny Hawkin's latest collaboration for kids: Laugh Out Loud Pocket… Continue reading Creativity and Fun in Your Pocket
We live the questions, holding one another's feet to the fire. We raise our kids and pray for each other on those "I'm a Rotten Mom" Days. They know us at our worst, and they love us anyway! They are our Soul Friends: What Every Woman Needs to Grow in Her Faith. Dr. Leslie Parrot writes… Continue reading Soul Friends: A Book Review
Living Our Days 