I'm indebted to my mother. She's always been my cheerleader. She signed me up for all kinds of lessons so I'd be confident in front of an audience, speaking or singing. She held the standard high. My mother was a lighthouse where she lived. She cared about me and everything I've ever done. If I could phone her now, she'd be curious about what...

Most of us are busy, too busy. We want to deepen our friendships, and we recognize the value of ministering to one another with meals and unhurried conversation. But there’s neither the time nor the place to do so. If this is your problem, consider “portable hospitality.” 1. Pack a picnic basket with matching cloth napkins and place mats....

Asking your children for forgiveness I did it again! I swear; I can't seem to get this mothering thing down. Sara, my four-year-old, was simply in my way as I was trying to walk across the kitchen…this wasn't deliberate disobedience on her part, by any means. And I yelled at her. The feeling in the pit of my stomach when I do that - it just...

The following experiences are almost universal - yet they catch many of us off guard. If you have been judging yourself as a success or a failure at this mommy stuff, based on what you had imagined motherhood would be like, read on. 1. As a new mother, you are likely to be exhausted and under stress, and to experience emotional highs and lows. The...

We love what Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "There never was a child so lovely but his [parents] were glad to get him asleep." Getting the kids to bed can be a challenge - especially with challenging kids. We still remember how our first child had us trained at age 20 months to sit in the "night-night" chair until he was sound asleep. That was after...

I believe that God wants me to have friends that will walk through this life with me. One of the best parts of my life is the amazing friendships I have. I lean on my girlfriends. God provides so much tangible love and support through my friends. In fact, a while back, I was having a pretty big struggle in my marriage. And two women seemingly...

A mass of multicolored bougainvillea acts as curtain between me and a group of children playing hopscotch on the cemented gray floor. Seeing me, they abandon their game and skip over. I am enveloped by tiny hands wanting to hold mine. Laughing faces gaze up into my face; warm little bodies hug around my knees and I am overwhelmed. I really do...