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Forty-five. Why Mid-life Is Not What I Feared
Today I'm forty-five. Not forty, not fifty, but halfway in between. Half of my life is completed, if I live until ninety, by the grace of God. For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 Ten years ago, for my thirty-fifth birthday, I borrowed a...
Parenting Series: Things I’d Do Over in Raising Girls
I'm posting at Parents Space today one of my most popular posts on raising girls. If you've been reading the blog the last week, you know the challenges and journey I've had in raising my girl. Here is a simple list of things I'd do again in raising a girl and things...
I’m A Fighter. Why Fighting For What’s Important Is Worth It All
When my little girl came into the world, like your firstborn, she was all I dreamed of. But God doesn't prepare us for the challenges of parenting, the things in our children that bring out the worst in us. God gave me a beautiful daughter with passion, a...
A July 4 Pin For You
Inspiring Stories: “Loving the Kids”
This post is written by my daughter. For the prelude to her story, read here. It’s taken nearly a year to heal my broken heart—to relive the rich memories with a song rather than sorrow lacing my heart. It’s been nearly 11 months since I left with a group of students...
Why Raising Children Is Really About Letting Go
Today I'm posting an article at Not Alone Mom on the process of releasing our children. Last year at this time, I wrote the following post as my daughter came home from college only to turn around to leave for Guatemala for the summer. I knew in my heart it would be...
Parenting Series: God Will Supply Your Needs/Free Resource
Thanks for the great post! By Kristin L. Nelson of Not Alone Mom And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 This is the verse that runs through my mind over and over again as I walk up and down the...
Getting Ready to Cross Over
They stood before the great River. They fought hard, endured much, and it was before them. The time was Now. The Promised Land. All they hoped and dreamed of and been promised. "They camped....for three days" (Joshua 3:2) Do you camp for three days before you are...
Speak Up: I Am A Writer
I walked down the hallway with the presenter as I asked a few questions about domain changes. Because she was approachable, I felt the courage inside to ask another question: "When can you call yourself a writer?" She stopped, looked at me with eyes that knew the...
Friday Chat: What’s Your Measuring Tool?
I'm posting today at Not Alone Mom for moms. Who do you measure yourself against? Read about it here. I posted about rest this week at Parents Space - you can read it here. It's been a busy week as a counselor working with kids in a school. You can read about that...
The Gap, The Holes, and the Race to Fill Them
She sat there with a batting glove on her hand. It gave her power in the identity she's forming. She's a fighter. Inside is a girl who wants to be something else. I see it in the way she cocks her head and the way her eyes get big when her heart softens. He sat...
The Parenting Series:The Simple Question and the Not-So-Easy-Answer
Last week my son came to me with a simple question. “Mom, are you busy?” I groaned inside because I knew the answer. The right answer was “No. ” The wrong answer, which was inside my head, said “I really don’t want to stop what I’m doing.” Luckily, my mouth came up...