“Why are you using your yelling voice?” “Please turn down your volume.” “I need you to talk quieter, please.” Do those phrases sound familiar in your home? If so, friend, you’re not alone. Those were regular lines in our home when my son was younger. For the longest time, I felt like a broken record, constantly reminding him to lower his ...
Starting Strong with the ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum
Fifteen years ago, I was just days away from sending my oldest to kindergarten and preparing to welcome baby #4. Life felt full—full of joy, full of activities, and full of change. But in the midst of it, I was committed to being intentional with the two little ones still at home. ABCJesusLovesMe provided the structure I needed. During that season, ...
A Meal Planning Trick Every Busy Mom Needs
Let’s be real: I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. It’s full of distractions, but sometimes it delivers little gold nuggets. Several years ago, a friend of mine posted a meal-planning idea she created, and I immediately knew I had to try it. It’s simple, flexible, and—most importantly—it works. Let's go into the archives to 2016 and ...
How Much Time Is Enough?
"Am I spending enough quality time with my child?" It's the kind of question that creeps in while folding laundry, driving, or scrolling late at night. I remember asking an older, wiser mom this exact question: How much time should I be spending with my children each day? Being a high school math teacher, she smiled and shared a ...
The Story I Didn’t Choose
I want out. This isn't fun anymore. Discouragement is winning, and I see no light at the end of the tunnel. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe it’s in marriage. Maybe parenting feels like too much. Maybe a friendship fell apart, or your job leaves you drained and defeated. Life has a way of leaving us gasping for air and wondering if we’ll ...
How to Finish Summer with Purpose
Where has the summer gone? If you're anything like me, you're still in denial that we’re halfway through 2025. But even in the midst of a quickly passing season, I want to offer three reminders to help you finish summer with purpose and peace. 1. It's Not Too Late to Make a Simple Summer Plan When the kids were little, I loved using summer ...
Be Courageous, Mom: Encouragement from Joshua 1:9
When I was a little girl, my brother, sister, and I would play Nintendo in our parents' basement. We loved the classics—Super Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt, and Tetris. But one game that really stuck with me was a Bible game called Joshua. The player helped Joshua conquer Jericho. And while I don’t remember all the details of the game, I do remember ...
When “Normal” Doesn’t Fit Your Child
When I imagined becoming a mom, I pictured sleepy baby snuggles, first words, and sweet milestones. I didn’t picture the first month of my child’s life being spent at a children’s hospital after open-heart surgery. I didn’t expect therapy appointments to fill our calendar, or for terms like “neurophysiologist,” “psychiatrist,” and “conduct ...
What to Do When Sensory Emotions Explode
Sharing a past post in the prayers that it will be helpful to many. It was the perfect scenario—or so I thought. We had just left church, and Grams was sitting in the backseat cuddling with Bubs (age seven). We picked up pizza and chatted about the fun day we had thus far with family. Once home, everyone gathered at the dinner table—except ...
When My Actions Speak Louder Than My Words
A few years ago, I walked through James: Mercy Triumphs by Beth Moore. The study was both rich and convicting, shedding light on sins in my life that I had either ignored or hidden. While studying the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself,” Beth referenced Matthew 5:19:“Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and ...