Home for the Holidays

About five minutes after our oldest child left for college, our middle child moved himself into his brother’s downstairs bedroom. This was a settled plan, as our middle son’s prior arrangements “forced” him to share a bathroom with…

You Have Seven Minutes… Maybe

You have seven minutes . . . maybe. Trust God with the time you have and let Him redeem it. As a Biblical Studies teacher of high school students, a coach, and a father of four, I am…

What the Gospel Means to Me as a Mom

When my oldest son turned thirteen, I suddenly felt unsure about parenting this boy who was rapidly becoming a man. No longer could I strap a disobedient child into a car seat and carry him where I wanted…

Parenting the Prodigal Son

We are all afflicted with a sinful will that tells us we can be, and should be, the masters of our own destinies. It is the greatest lie we believe, and Adam and Eve believed it even when…

Sibling Rivalry: The Poisonous Tie That Binds

I recently started watching the television series Downton Abbey, and I am completely hooked. As one of three girls in my family, I particularly enjoy the portrayals of the three aristocratic Crawley daughters. From the first episode, an…

What Do I Think is at Stake?

Modern day personalized youth baseball gear is like the eggs in the “Alien” movie franchise – every time you look up, there’s more. And I couldn’t find my nine-year old’s new batting gloves. I felt my body temperature…

The Blessing Your Child Needs

I feel like I hear about blessings all the time lately. The research on gratitude has exploded recently and we have, thankfully, become more aware of and grateful for the blessings in our lives. First and foremost, for…