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62 Things to Say to Make Your Husband Feel Great
1. Thanks for doing that. It means a lot to me when you serve me in little ways like that. 2. I am such a different woman because of the way you _____ (love me, gently lead me, make me feel secure,...
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Is Your To-Do List a Monster?
Something tells me I’m not the only one with a to-do list that’s got a lot more mileage than my day. You’ve been there. When my feet hit the un-vacuumed carpet in the morning and my arms swoop up my...
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How to Raise Good Conversationalists
It was the dress rehearsal for “The Pirates of Penzance” at a local Christian school. A friend had asked me to pitch in on the stage makeup and I was backstage, gleefully smearing grease-paint...
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8 Practical Ways to Parent with Grace
“You look festive!” My friend looked over my golf-ball-sized silver hoops, turquoise tank, knit plum skirt. It was one of my more art teacher-ish outfits. She was right: I love color. I fit right in...
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50 Fun Role-Playing Ideas for Kids
Stimulating kids’ creativity is easier than you think! These fun role-playing ideas for kids can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like, using items you likely already have lying around the house. (If...
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A Month of Easy Family Night Ideas
If family nights have you slumping a little lower in your seat from guilt and that mental screen shot of your calendar, never fear. If they make you want to inspect your split ends in boredom or pop in...
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Avoiding Burnout: 31 Tips for Entering the No-Fry Zone
Author’s note: Some of you know that I struggle painfully with overcommitting, overworking, and a number of other (uh, prideful, fearful, faithless…) related issues that cost me and the ones I love. So...
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7 Habits of Parents Whose Kids Solve Problems
It was a moment that changed my parenting.“Whenever we asked my dad what a word meant,” my husband explained, “we got the dictionary and looked it up together.”Yep, it was as simple as that. My...
View ArticlePaperwork Pregnant
I am, as they say, “paperwork pregnant.”It wasn’t coursing hormones or a full bladder that stirred me this morning at 5:06, but a chirpy text alert from my cell phone: My lawyer letting me know my file...
View Article20 Ideas for Kids Waiting on Thanksgiving Dinner
Wondering how to keep them occupied while you’re whipping up Aunt Marge’s sweet potato casserole? Set up a small table in an adjacent room, grab a few minimal-mess supplies, and try out a few of these...
View ArticleIdeas for Easier, Cheaper, More Generous Holidays
You probably already do this as a mom, but during the holiday season our evaluation becomes even more important: “Which is more valuable here–my money, or my time? My time with my kids, or doing this...
View ArticleThe 2014 Question
Looking around my table this past Thanksgiving, I took a long drink of that goodness that feels so deeply good.For me, it was the Thanksgiving of dreams: We were back on furlough from Africa, crowded...
View ArticleHelp! I Married an Introvert: Tips for Engaging the Strong, (more) Silent Type
Yup. My husband is an Introvert—capital “I”. Let me be clear: The guy loves people! His job is, for the most part, taking care of them. But this also means that by the time he crosses the threshold of...
View ArticleStep Six Out of Angry: Target Problem Areas
It’s been a good year on the anger front. On speculation, I’d say it has to do with:a) The Holy Spirit.b) Having made it through more stressful times of life—e.g. little kids; moving little kids to...
View ArticleWhen God Packs Your Lunch
My mom packed a sack lunch for me daily for nearly my entire school career. (Thirteen years, three sisters, and my father… that’s a lot of lunches.) I believe the only meals I desired for hot lunch...
View Article8 Ideas to Teach Our Kids to Say “Yes” to Discernment … and “No” to Judging...
Let’s say you’re on a playdate, and another child offers a colorful presentation of precisely how not to behave. The parent is busy in conversation. Do you:A. Make sure, in the car on the way home,...
View Article8 Ideas to Teach Our Kids to Say “Yes” to Discernment … and “No” to Judging...
Last week, I wrote about practical ways we can teach our children to be discerning without being judgmental. If you missed Part I, you can find it here. Now on with the second half of the list…5. In...
View Article30 Ways to Help Your Kids Honor Dad
Editor’s Note: Do you have your Father’s Day game plan ready to go? Help your kiddos show Dad how they feel about him this Father’s Day. You don’t have to limit these to just one day, though; most of...
View ArticleAvoiding Burnout: 31 Tips for Entering the No-Fry Zone
Author’s note: Some of you know that I struggle painfully with overcommitting, overworking, and a number of other (uh, prideful, fearful, faithless …) related issues that cost me and the ones I love....
View ArticleClik here to view.
7 Habits of Parents Whose Kids Solve Problems
It was a moment that changed my parenting.“Whenever we asked my dad what a word meant,” my husband explained, “we got the dictionary and looked it up together.”Yep, it was as simple as that. My...
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