Character Counts Archives - Page 3 of 21

Is Your Child on Something?

She looks different to you. Her eyes are glassy. Or is that a twinkle? Giggling, she can’t keep quiet. Gushing all of the great things about him, all conversations now lead to this one subject. If she were back in her light up shoes, the strobe light would be blinding as she twitters around the room. It’s like she’s on something. And she is. It’s infatuation. Although it’s not deadly or illegal, it does give this mama heart cause for concern. It’s a drug that can blind our kids, causing them to miss what is glaring to everyone but them. …

Why It’s Okay to Fail

School is about to be back in session for us. I love getting back to routines and its happy effect on my family. We all really operate well with routines. It gives us a pattern every day–a constancy in our weeks. Summer is fun and free and loose. And we need that for our souls for sure–space to dream and read and be. But back to routine is really where we shine, as a family. Every year, and you may ask my kids, I set forth some goals for the new year. One of those goals is to make breakfast every …

Caring for Your Own Mom

Have you ever wondered what it might be like when your role as a daughter gets reversed and you become the parent to your mother? I didn’t give it much thought until I was suddenly faced with an ailing mother who needed full-time care. Most of my friends and family assumed that she would move into a nursing home facility. But, I knew God had quite a different plan for our family. Ever wondered what it might be like when your role as a daughter gets reversed & you become the parent to your mother? Click To Tweet I felt the constant …

Forgiveness is a Choice of the Heart

“Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Col. 3:13 TLB Forgive? How do you forgive the one who… * sabotaged your husband’s business. * introduced your child to drugs or alcohol. * stole your identity, leaving you with a financial mess. * abused you sexually as a child or did so to your child. * lured your teenager from the internet into running away. * kidnapped your child and sold him/her for sex trafficking. * drove down the wrong side of the expressway at night in a drunken …

How to Easily Teach Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith

“Mom, who made me? Why did God make me? What does it mean to glorify God?” Is there an easy way to break down and teach the foundational, basic truths of the Christian faith to our children? Yes, there is! I pray this post will make this intimidating task easy for you! The Bible reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:15 eternal fruit will be produced from our parenting responsibility: “…from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (NASB) Let …

how results-driven moms can celebrate progress

I’m the kind of girl that reads the ending of the book first. I love checking things off my to do list. I’m somehow annoyed by the process … I just want to get to the result. Closure and completion means that I’ve been efficient and productive. As a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist, that feels good to my “I have to perform” tendencies. Particularly since I’ve become a mother, those “completion” moments have been in short supply. Being a mom means many unending tasks: disciplining children, helping with schoolwork, cleaning the house, giving instructions… The list itself is endless. This used to …

Taking Down the Hindrances to Hospitality

As a newlywed, there were many obstacles that should have in all propriety and dignity (said tongue-in-cheek) kept us from hosting people in our home. We lived in a small apartment. We had little in provisions, financially. We didn’t have fancy napkins or table settings. Maybe it is a personality thing, but I plunged in and invited people anyway. We made lasting memories, not because we had a perfect place or perfect food, but because we had welcoming hearts to friends, new and old. Then something happened about five years into marriage. Someone told me that I needed to have certain …

Four Habits to Teach Kids Good Stewardship

My kids own enough toys to fill a Target aisle. Their clothes closet? Jam packed. Take a quick look around our house and you might think we’re one of those excessive American families with no sense of money’s value. But come a little closer. You’ll discover most of the clothes my children own were handed down from their cousins—or bought on super clearance because Momma loves a bargain. And those toys? Gifts, mostly, or else acquired through our semi-annual Christmas and birthday splurge. We appreciate our material things. But we know they’re not everything. I want to teach my kids …

The ABC’s of Vacation Bible School

I was born into a family where “vacation,” “Bible” and “school” didn’t go together. Before my parents began a relationship with Jesus, the Bible was a way to ruin our vacation! But once our family learned about God’s plan for moms, dads and kids, summer became a special window of opportunity to grow in faith. It’s a season when signs start popping up on street corners advertising “Vacation Bible School” for kids. If you haven’t been part of a church community for long, you might wonder why VBS should get prime real estate on your summer family calendar. What’s so …

Busting 4 Common Mom Myths

Moms, here are a few myths we are tempted to believe … and the truth that busts them: 1. Correction Crushes a Child’s Spirit. TRUTH: No. Correction is training. Kids need training. Criticism is the thing that crushes a child’s spirit. Correction motivates and encourages a child to do something better. It is training. Criticism sounds like: Your room is always a mess. You are so disorganized. How can you find anything? (negative, personal attack, shaming) Correction sounds like: Your room needs some TLC. I will show you how you can organize it. I …

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