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.…
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 don’t remember how long or short she cried, but we knew that she wasn’t hungry and didn’t need…
Fighting Fairly with Your Spouse
“Fight.” “Disagree.” “Discuss.” Call it whatever you want, but if you’re married, it happens. And that’s okay! I’m not saying we should unleash our anger and let careless words fly whenever we feel like it. We can, in fact, still…
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…
New Starts
It’s quite possible that I say this in every January issue, but it’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…
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…
Now Available: Unlimited Fresh Starts
Fresh starts. New beginnings. Second chances. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like these ideas. And there’s something about a brand new year that gets us all excited about “starting over” and making changes and improvements in our lives. Undoubtedly,…
On Handling Conflict
My husband and I don’t have a lot of disagreements. And when we do disagree, we’re not loud about it. There was a particular time several years ago when we were having an argument in the kitchen, and our children…