Real Stories

  “You're grounded from all electronics for the entire summer!” This is the punishment I blurted out recently after my child had done something for the umpteenth time that I told him over [...]

Note: in honor of Mother's Day, we're celebrating the many different women in our lives who have left a legacy. We're calling them our "many mothers," and thanking them for their love. Read more [...]

  Note: The following is a real excerpt from my 4th-grade diary. Wednesday, 2-21-90 Dear Diary: Today Sarah, Megan, Mandy and Kathleen were being real jerks. They were making fun of me all [...]

Traditions are great...but sometimes they can create unforeseen expectations among siblings. For example, I've made it a habit to build certain "milestone" celebrations into my parenting with my [...]

I have a secret plan for back to school this year. My secret plan is to avoid comparing myself and my summer to other moms this school year. If you struggle at all like I do with comparing [...]

Mom, where do babies come from? No question puts fear into the hearts of parents quite like this one. Except maybe... ...Mom, what is cancer? ...Dad, are you going to die? ...Why is Aunt Sarah [...]

A few years ago, Marie Kondo captivated me with The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Filled with adventure, decluttering, and searches for what “sparks joy,” her message of simplifying [...]

This year my family is cutting back on Christmas gifts. Though my husband and I usually like to get as much as we can for our two sons, we now find ourselves in a place where it just doesn’t make [...]

Three weeks ago I had to break the news to my kids that their great-grandpa had passed away. Though my grandpa had been sick for a while, and we’d had the chance to visit him several times before [...]

In his ministry, Jesus talked a lot about helping others and teaching that he came to serve. Growing up in a missionary home with two parents who were passionate about reaching those in need, I [...]