• Faith

    The Vault

    “I have this thing I call ‘the vault,'” the pastor said as an introduction to the personal story he was about to share. I’m not sure why, but I immediately pictured the kind of vault that is a gymnastics apparatus.…

  • Family

    True Confessions

    We used the train-your-baby-to-be-on-a-schedule-and-sleep-through-the-night-so-that-you-can-sleep-too-and-everyone-is-much-happier-this-way method with each of our children. One night we heard baby Callie crying in her crib. I honestly donโ€™t remember how long or short she cried, but we knew that she wasnโ€™t hungry and didnโ€™t need…

  • Marriage

    Fighting Fairly with Your Spouse

    โ€œFight.โ€  โ€œDisagree.โ€ โ€œDiscuss.โ€ Call it whatever you want, but if youโ€™re married, it happens. And thatโ€™s okay! Iโ€™m not saying we should unleash our anger and let careless words fly whenever we feel like it. We can, in fact, still…

  • Adoption,  Family

    Confession

    A few nights ago, I hit a very low point in my parenting. I was exhausted, worn down, and battle-weary. My buttons had all been pushed, and my triggers had all been triggered. I was tired of hearing lies, tired…

  • Family

    New Starts

    Itโ€™s quite possible that I say this in every January issue, but itโ€™s true. I love new starts! There is something so refreshing and inspiring about a new year, a new beginning. In fact, I love to think of each…

  • Family

    Lost Rings

    My family and I were playing in the waves in Destin, Florida this summer when my eldest daughter Callie suddenly realized that the ring she had been wearing had fallen off her finger and into the water. We all stopped…

  • Family

    Now Available: Unlimited Fresh Starts

    Fresh starts. New beginnings. Second chances. I donโ€™t know anyone who doesnโ€™t like these ideas. And thereโ€™s something about a brand new year that gets us all excited about โ€œstarting overโ€ and making changes and improvements in our lives. Undoubtedly,…