You were made to be part of God's story,A beautiful note in his song.So let his light shine as you walk through the world,And remember...you always belong! These words are the repeated chorus in Jinger Dugger Vuolo and her husband Jeremy's new book You Always Belong (ad). The book gently helps children understand God’s love and their place in ...
Day to Day
Do I Deserve Happiness? A Biblical Look for Moms
As moms, we often hear, “I just want my kids to be happy,” or even, “I deserve happiness.” But is this what God promises or desires for us? Culture tells us happiness is the ultimate goal—choose what makes you happy, change your circumstances if you’re unhappy. Yet what does Scripture tell us? Read the episode transcript What Happiness ...
When It Doesn’t Go as Planned
About a year ago, Melanie and I recorded a podcast episode we didn’t know would be our last for quite some time. The break wasn’t planned, but life required it. 2025 brought confusion, heartbreak, grief, and parenting decisions that didn’t come with clear answers. Today, I want to share why that pause happened and what God has been teaching us ...
Trusting God in a New Year
Happy New Year! Do those words bring peace…or anxiety? I used to love the start of a new year. A clean calendar. A fresh planner. Excitement about what might be ahead. That changed. When the New Year Brings Anxiety While I still enjoy a brand-new Be Intentional planner, I've stepped into this new year with an anxious heart. Honestly, ...
Turning Ordinary Moments into Faith Lessons
Several years ago, I caught Peanut (5) singing a silly childhood song about trick-or-treating, smelly feet, and underpants. (Go ahead…you know the one.) While it tiptoes the line of being inappropriate, it’s a song kids have sung for generations because of its catchy tune and simple, sing-song lyrics. Peanut was clearly proud of his new ...
13 Tips to Navigate the Holidays with Sensory-Sensitive Kids
The holidays are hard for most children and adults. But for children navigating Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, or ADHD, the large groups of people, over stimulation, and changes in routine can send the whole day into a downward spiral. I learned—many times after the fact—that the best way to help my children (and myself) was to prepare for ...
Finding Joy When Gratitude Feels Hard
November is often called the month of gratitude, but I’ll be honest—there have been years when I didn’t feel thankful at all. Whether it was health challenges, parenting struggles, marriage stress, or financial worries, the weight of life can make November feel more annoying than inspiring. Grumpiness can sneak in so easily. When we’re tired, ...
Pumpkin Carving Fun… and a Tasty Treat!
For 20 years, our family has had a special pumpkin-carving tradition with Papa. When the kids were young, their favorite part was picking shapes for the faces—triangles for eyes, zigzags for mouths, and even some creative asymmetrical designs. Carving the pumpkin also opened the door to share the Gospel. As the kids got older, their designs became ...
Moving from Temptation to Fruit
We know the verse by heart, yet living out the Fruit of the Spirit can feel nearly impossible—especially when we’re running on our last nerve. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23 Yet there is hope! Check out this ...
Parenting Without Comparison
We all do it. Compare the things we own. Compare our marriages. Compare what we know. And yes… compare our children. As another school year begins, let’s pause and talk about how comparison affects us as parents — and what we can do about it. Here is Becky's story. When Comparison Creeps In “I need to teach Jack Bible stories!” I said to ...