“Life’s not fair. If it were, we’d all go to hell.” My sons, ages 8 and 3, were recently playing with a little neighborhood boy. They had been taking turns riding in a wagon. My 3-year had obviously taken a little too long of a turn and the neighbor boy was exclaiming, as all young people do, “It’s not fair!” My older son replied, in his very matter-of-fact tone, “Life’s not fair. If it were, we’d all go to hell.” I immediately shushed him. I was a little embarrassed that this truth — one I often […]
Joy in Homeschool Trails :: Leaning into Him When You Just Want to Give Up
This family has just begun it’s second year as a homeschool family. My husband is a public school teacher and I’m a former one myself, so I often get asked how I like homeschooling. My typical response is usually “I really enjoy it, but it’s really hard,” putting an emphasis on the really hard part. This is the truth. I really do find joy in this experience, but I can’t deny that their are days when I wish I could send my kids off to school and go back to the classroom myself. Homeschooling is no […]
Why Are You Stirring Up Anger?
“Mommy, why are you stirring up anger?” my precious four year old asked me with tears still in her eyes. Earlier in that evening she had had a melt down over something that I viewed to be small and insignificant. In typical, irritate fashion, I snapped at her and sent her to her room. I simply didn’t want to deal with my tired, emotional, and oh-so-fragile daughter. I was wore-out, the day had been long, and I just wanted to go to bed myself. My relationship with my children teaches me so much about my […]
An Easter Question: Too Young For Christ?
This past Easter Sunday my son, Espn was baptized. He is six. And when the subject was first introduced I had the same thought you are probably have right now: he is too young, he couldn’t possibly understand what baptism means. Espn’s baptism wasn’t planned. We had gone to church that Sunday knowing that, like all Easter Sundays at our church, the gospel would be preached, an invitation to accept grace would be made, and the baptismal would be open after service for those ready to publicly display their faith. The kids hadn’t been in […]
Surrendering As A Child :: A Lesson From a 3-Year Old
“I can’t stop Mom-ma. I can’t stop.” Those were the words that my precious little Ivy choked out between sobs as I lifted her into her bed. Earlier that evening a meltdown began when I asked her to finish eating her dinner and she refused. The crumble continued when I would not allow her to have any dessert. And later, the struggle grew as she fought me to put on her pajamas, attempting to wiggle out of my arms and run, screaming and crying the entire time. At this point she was at full on […]
Service Wasn’t Beneath The King
This morning as I stood in front of the kitchen sink I was nearly taken over by a woe-is-me, selfish attitude. Don’t they know how much I do for them? I am so under appreciated, I thought. Then in His goodness and grace He quietly reminded me that service was not beneath Him, The King, and service is certainly is not beneath me. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, […]
The Primary Teacher
I use to believe that my children needed to go to Children’s Church to receive the bulk of their christian education; that the Sunday school teacher had the primary role in this education and I was to reenforce that teacher. I had it backwards. Proverbs 22:6 tells us “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (NKJV). In Deuteronomy 6:7 we are told, “You shall teach (the greatest commandment) diligently to your children, and shall talk of (it) when you sit in […]
Wives and Mothers
You spend most of your day serving your husband and your children. You probably are tired… no, exhausted… and you may even feel that the work you do is under-appreciated. Oh, what a humble role you fill. Yes, a humble role, one which requires you to continually put the needs of others before yourself. Do you feel neglected, demeaned, or forgotten? You are not. Please remember that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12). You are loved.