Lessons in LOVE

Lessons in LOVE in Eras of Evil

In a recent meeting in a children’s church class room, I read rules displayed on the wall. “Side hugs only,” it warned. Everything else was about what’s NOT allowed:  secrets, piggy backs, carrying, tickling, lap sitting. Are these things all bad? So dangerous? Can’t we be affectionate without being evil? Can’t we use loving touch? Does modern love have to be sterile to be safe? More than ever, our children look to us for lessons in love. An era of evil is a hard time to for a child to learn what love is, and evil reigns today. It’s not the …

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The Moment I Realized I Was Poisoning My Parenting

I was laid bare. My people pleasing, image-conscious tendencies had slowly and steadily infected my mothering. And with one simple question, she had exposed me.  From the outside, everything looked fine. When my kids were young, I remember my sister-in-law telling me, “You all are just the perfect little family!” I knew the truth. If you peered beneath the surface, the picture wasn’t exactly perfect — for a variety of reasons. However, when my oldest turned 12, a powder keg seemed to go off. She began to act out and assert her preteen independence. At the same time, my son was struggling with his own …

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Top Gadgets To Make Mom’s Life Easier in 2016!

Must-have gadgets to make Momma’s life so much easier in 2016! Click To Tweet Do you loathe spending time on housekeeping? Are you ready to shave hours off your daily chores? Check out these gadgets which are sure to make your busy life more manageable in 2016! Roomba  This is my personal favorite. Touch a button–and walaaaaa—the floor is clean. This robotic vacuum cleans up after the kids and pets so you don’t have to! It easily glides from wood floor to carpet, and docks onto the charging base all on its own! Because this vacuum works so hard, you will …

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Did Jesus Have a Nickname

Did Jesus Have Nicknames?

Lovey. Sweetie. Little Bean. Bubs. I have so many nicknames for my kids, it’s a wonder they answer to their Christian names. Some parents get their children’s official monikers mixed up. I remember my mother tripping over her three choices when she was angry or in a rush. Robin—Becky—Sarah—whatever your name is! Get in here! Me? I even get my girls’ pet names confused. “How’s your breakfast, Sunshine?” “Mooooom!” my eldest scolded. “My sister is your Sunshine. I’m your Joy!” Which begs the question, is it time to ix-nay the nicknames? “For to us a child is born, to us …

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Why I Wrote Please God Don’t Let Me Screw This Up! by Guest, Lyette Reback

Twenty-one years old, I sat holding my six-day-old baby. I realized that, quite frankly, I had made a mess of my life up to now. The only thing I had gotten right so far was convincing this wonderful man next to me that I was a catch worth keeping, and somehow got him to marry me!  I was a handful as a kid—smart-mouthed and cute enough to talk my way out of most scrapes. I had walked through life about as gracefully as a bull in a china shop. Politely “released” from boarding school in 7th grade, I figured out …

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Tea Party?

On the mornings that we run late to school, all manners are gone.  This morning, my girls had a tea party at school. I knew that this tea party was a big deal. It’s a time for them to show off their manners, get dressed up in frilly dresses, over the top hats, and shiny jewelry and shoes. But, my husband was out of town for work so it was up to me to get the girls ready for the big school party. So the night before the tea party, we picked out their outfits and all their accessories. But …

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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 …

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Can Our Children’s Minds Be Protected?

Every parent has to decide for themselves. What will you allow your children to be exposed to? Which books and movies are okay? Which video games are okay? Is social media a good idea? Should they have access to the Internet? So many things are fighting for our children’s attention. With the ever growing range of access to images, thoughts, ideas, and opinions in the world, trying to protect our children’s minds and maintain their innocence is harder than ever before. The truth is we’ve lost this battle. Even before it’s begun. The average parent has no way to keep …

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Letting Go is Hard to Do

  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:8 ESV) From the moment of giving birth, the hard process of letting go begins. Having a hard time letting go? Here’s help! #moms #motherhood Click To Tweet I remember when my son was first born not wanting to let him out of my sight. I would drag the car seat into the bathroom when I needed to take a shower, and constantly risk soaking the throw rug by peering around the curtain to make sure he was …

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