The Fourth of July is usually a day of picnics—hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill; potato salad and potato chips; red-white-and-blue desserts. We gather with friends and family. We enjoy a day off from work. And the day usually culminates in fireworks displays. Kids always think these are the best part of the day….
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2 NIV) My family is really picky about food. When I talk about this pickiness with other mamas, I usually get a good bit of sympathy, confirming the extreme…
This is a cautionary tale about rocking the boat. My mother took me to the small college to begin my freshman year. A fine school, both then and now, it was my parents’ alma mater. “You’ll love it,” they said. I didn’t love it. I didn’t even like it most of the time. The school…
“Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves.” (James 1:6 MSG) I often tell new mamas struggling through the baby and toddler phases that parenting gets easier, at least physically. Now my kids can make their own breakfast and lunch and help with chores. They can dress themselves…
I’ll never forget the morning I gave birth to my first son. I felt such a sense of accomplishment as the nurse laid him on my chest and said, “It’s a boy!” I cried and kept repeating the phrase, “I did it! I did it!” I had been in labor for twelve hours, in excruciating…
One encouraging comment holds the power to change our perspective. An aptly spoken word can lift our head and lighten our load. I recently experienced that power of encouragement, involving shoes. But the truth penetrates much deeper than thoughts on footwear. With my size-eleven feet, shoe shopping is not my favorite thing to do, but…