Don’t Miss Date Night!
When I informed my daughter one night that a sitter was on her way because mom and dad were going out on a date, she crossed her arms to express her displeasure that she was not being invited along on the outing. “You guys like each other more than you like us! Hmph!”...
2 Words Sticky Faith Taught Me to Say
Today's guest post is by our friend Kara Powell who has recently published The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family through her research with Fuller Youth Institute. We are so excited for this new resource that is written specifically for families who want to help their...
The Search for More
Once we had kids my husband and I quickly learned dates were going to look a lot different. We hadn’t realized that before children, every night was date night. Kids complicated things, made the night out—due to babysitting costs—much more expensive. Unless it’s a...
My Days on A Pit Crew
Many of my childhood weekends were filled with kid stuff—playing outside, wading in the creek, playing with dolls and roller-skating. However, there was a short time when I was on the pit crew of my dad’s racing team, and that was major. Not really your normal kid...
What’s Going On In Your Heart?
It had been a rough week. School was just beginning. Our family was transitioning through some things. My husband and I had to adjust to a new job change for me, which requires some extra travel. And our girls were in new classrooms with new friends and new teachers....
Bad Days
On a good morning, the bananas I give my boys to eat don’t have any brown spots, the color plate they request is clean, the eggs are cooked just past the sliminess stage, their favorite shirts aren’t at the bottom of the dirty clothes hamper and every request I make...
Make It Personal
A crucial link exists between your ability to parent and your personal growth. This parenting value—making it personal—is going to challenge you as a parent in a way the other values don’t. This one will benefit your kids, for sure. But it’s not directly about them,...
Farewell Summer
It’s fun to scroll the Facebook feed for photos of families on vacation. I absolutely L-O-V-E seeing parents and kids being themselves and having fun together. Since I’m a youth pastor, I geek out when pictures of teens with their parents on vacation. It’s almost like...
How to Slow Down Childhood
The minute you have a kid, a chorus of people will come around you and proclaim, “They grow up so fast! They grow up so fast!” Before you have even left the maternity ward or adoption agency with your child, you will feel the great pressure of time bearing down upon...
What Happens at Dinner
If you were a fly on the wall of my house between 5:00 and 5:30 pm you would observe something that—after some time—you might describe as dinner. You would notice how seemingly haphazard, disorganized, and muddled it was, but at some point, you might be able to...
An Open Letter to the Future Therapist of My Children
Dear therapist who will one day be counseling my children, There are two things I need to say right out of the gate: 1. I tried my best. 2. I hope you have a sound machine. The second point is more of a personal preference rather than a revelation. Having gone to...
Widen the Circle
We believe there are five principles that will help you as a parent navigate through a variety of different seasons and help you parent beyond your capacity. Parenting can be intimidating, and you weren't meant to do it alone. Regardless of your stage of parenting,...