When I think back to those early years of parenting, the word that comes to mind is exhaustion. All. Day. Long. I was simply trying to keep our four kids alive. Well, I did more than that, but it often felt like a major victory just to make it through the day! And while there were plenty of mistakes made (so many!), I’m thankful that we prioritized ...
Day to Day
The Things We Use to Fill the Void
“Yahweh allows the stuff of Earth to be lacking in its ability to fulfill us so that we have no choice but to look to Him for our ultimate satisfaction.” Priscilla Shirer, Elijah If you're like me, you don’t enjoy feeling like something is missing. We want to fill the empty places in our lives, to build purpose and meaning so we don’t have to ...
Raising Emotionally Resilient Kids
In today’s world, our kiddos face so many challenges that bring big emotions to the surface. As parents and teachers, we want to help them navigate these tough moments. Raising emotionally resilient kids means teaching them to work through their feelings and find growth on the other side. It’s not something that happens overnight, but I’m here to ...
Teaching Forgiveness to Kids with “Forgiveness Soap”
Explaining abstract concepts like forgiveness to young children can be a challenge. How do you convey the depth of forgiveness and its importance in a way that's tangible and relatable to their young minds? I love the creative idea Tauna shared with me for "Forgiveness Soap." What is Sin? Begin by drawing on a piece of paper the outline of ...
Embracing More this Year
As we move further into the new year, how are your resolutions and goals holding up? Did you know the second Friday of the year is known as "National Quitter's Day"? Have you stayed focused past January 10th? Accountability plays a crucial role in achieving goals. In a recent conversation, Melanie and I discussed her word of the year—"more"—but ...
Why Teach Character Traits to Children?
We all want our children to grow up with good character. We want others to like them, and we want to like our children! Naturally, we teach them traits like honesty, compassion, and generosity. As Teacher Created Materials shares: With the many varied messages children see in the media and in their associations, we can’t expect them to merely ...
Walking Together Through 2025
Her slumped shoulders and darkened eyes said it all. Her social media posts send flares of warning to the skies begging someone to provide hope and help. She is the epidemy of yet another absolutely, positively overwhelmed and exhausted mom. It's not a new look. I've seen the haunting images at church. At ...
Gratitude: Your Key to Beating Burnout
Some research shows an astounding 93% of mothers feel burned out today. By definition, "burnout is an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion." 93% of moms are burned out. Can you relate? I know exactly how you feel. I’ve experienced that overwhelming exhaustion from rushing between activities. I’ve felt drained from the endless ...
Empowering Healthy Independence in Your Children
There’s a famous parenting quote that states: “Never do for a child what he can do for himself.” This idea makes me think of the parent who carries her child’s backpack to school or makes a teenager’s lunch daily. While it’s easy to do these things out of love, I often wonder if we’re truly loving our kids the best way possible when we do all the ...
What’s a Christian to Do with the Enneagram?
I find the brain fascinating. How God created each person beautifully unique, yet with similar traits, is humbling and amazing. That's probably why I have enjoyed learning about personalities. It has helped me understand myself, work with others, and better parent my kids. My favorite personality resource is the Enneagram. This guide became ...