Forever Friends is a favorite topic for my speaking audiences. I have skits in that talk to show what it means to have trusted and treasured friends and to be that kind of friend to others. Are you the kind of friend you long to have? Click To Tweet I am currently in a scheduling crunch with my writing and speaking ministry, but I had a blog post due today. “Help!” was the subject line in an email to my good friend Kathy Howard. Kathy is a TMI guest contributor so I asked her if she could help me with …
Why Your Teen Needs Peer Pressure
Dr. David Stoop is a Christian psychologist and family counselor and ordained minister. His doctorate is from the University of Southern California and he is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (also my Alma Mater). Dr. Stoop is an adjunct professor at Fuller where he teaches courses associated with family therapy. I was privileged to have Dr. Stoop as one of my professors at Fuller and have always admired his work. Dr. Stoop has authored over 30 book, and was the co-editor of the Life Recovery Bible. You can learn more about Dr. Stoop at his website. I follow Dr. …
How to Pray for Your Prodigal Child
My “former” prodigal daughter, Kim, and me sharing our testimony at a Mother’s Day Tea Are you wondering if you have a prodigal? Here’s my definition: “A child who is breaking the heart of his or her parents and the heart of God.” I was a prodigal who raised a prodigal. I modeled worldly ways to my daughter, Kim, and she wanted to be just like me. When she was eighteen, I rededicated my life to Christ—I thought my daughter would follow after me. But she wanted nothing to do with this new “weird” mom. When she announced she was …
It’s Not About The Juice!
I want juice! Mommy please, please, please can I have juice…? (After you’ve said no for the 10th time) I have to have juice or I can’t get up! (After throwing themselves in the aisle of the grocery store) You HAVE to get me juice. I don’t want water, I want JUICE! I don’t want that kind of juice! I don’t want juice in that glass. I need more juice. I won’t stop crying till you get me juice. You’re not a nice mommy if you don’t get me juice. You’re chuckling because you’ve resonated with these “demands” and manipulative …
Throw A Birthday Party for Jesus
This week, I posted the above picture on my Facebook timeline and received many questions about the Birthday Bag for Jesus in front of the Christmas tree. At our house, that Birthday Bag is a reminder that we are celebrating the birthday of Jesus. This tradition started early in our marriage when we decided to throw a birthday party for Jesus. Since our anniversary is December 19th, it’s already a packed month for us, but we knew the Lord was prompting us to throw Him a party, and so we did. The first year, we invited a few family …
How Can Your Family Care for the Orphans?
My daughter Kim and her husband Toby “finalizing” adoption of baby Brandon on National Adoption Day, November 19, 2005 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27 NLT) A baby—precious, fragile, helpless, dependent, sweet, needy, and full of potential—without a family is destitute, institutionalized, alone . . . heartbreaking. Any child at any age without a home, without a family, without love is heartbreaking. James 1:27 tells the church and every Christian that it isn’t enough to …
When Mom Has Breast Cancer
Shocking statistic: 1 in 8 women diagnosed with breast cancer. So chances are you either know, or are, a mom with breast cancer. I am a three-time survivor, a mom, and a grandma, and I know how a diagnosis of any kind of illness impacts the entire family. Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to focus on how we can help the moms we know with breast cancer, and to those of you who are those moms, how to graciously receive the help you so desperately need. Don’t Just Offer to Help—Do Something Tangible Most of …
Don’t Ignore Infertility But Be Careful What You Say
Many of the mommies-in-waiting sharing their stories in Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby? A Companion Guide for Couples on the Infertility Journey expressed the sorrowful complaint that they felt ignored by friends and family, even in the church–especially in the church. With 1 in 6 couples experiencing infertility, that’s a large part of the population ignored. You probably know someone struggling with infertility, or maybe it’s you that is struggling to be a mommy, or you know the painful misunderstood struggle of secondary infertility. Often we ignore the infertile couple because we don’t know what to …
How Are You Celebrating National Grandparents Day?
Did you even know there’s a National Grandparents Day? I’ve been a Grammie for almost fifteen years and we’ve never acknowledged this special day in our family. When I told my daughter it was on September 8th this year, she laughed. I said: No, seriously there is a Grandparents Day. Her response: You aren’t expecting a gift are you? LOL! Have you been planning a celebration for your grandparents or your children’s grandparents? Admittedly, Grandparents Day certainly doesn’t get the recognition of Mothers Day or Fathers Day, but for those of us who are grandparents, we know what a blessing it …
10 Tips for Couples Praying Together
“Bless you both,” I heard as my husband, Dave, and I opened our eyes after praying over our dinner in the Seattle airport food court. I looked up to see an elderly gentleman and his wife beaming at us from the next table. Instantly, we had something in common—God! When Dave and I acknowledged the husband’s comment, his wife gleefully added, “And I said to my husband, ‘Look they’re holding hands while they pray!’”. As we chatted with the couple, we learned that they were from Canada and waiting to board a plane to Orange County, our former home. I …