Dear Son, Please allow me to continue my letter to you on manhood that I started last week. I know it may still seem strange coming from your mom, but I encourage you to listen closely to the wisdom I’ve gathered from living life with a great man, growing older, and seeing how the world works.… Continue reading Mom’s Message on Manhood to her Sons, Part II
Dear Son, You may have noticed things changing and I felt it was important to explain to you why. Daily, I’m riddled with frustration over the state of our world and the state of people, in general. But lately, I’m increasingly frustrated about the state of our boys. The older I get, the more I… Continue reading Mom’s Message on Manhood to her Sons, Part I
There are few things more frustrating to a parent than an arguing child. The days and hours fly past us enough already, so who has time to argue over every little thing? Unfortunately, even the youngest child can be masterful at arguing and it’s easy to get sucked into the vacuum early on. There is no need… Continue reading BRAT TALK: Kids Who Like to Argue
Their little faces pressed against the screen looking at me from the porch. My earlier frustration began to dissolve and was replaced quickly by feelings of guilt and compassion as I tried to wrap up my phone conversation. Have you ever been constantly interrupted while trying to have an intense or important conversation? If you have children,… Continue reading BRAT TALK: Helping Kids Learn the Art of Good Interruptions
He looked at me with wide eyes trying hard to make sense of my words. “Really, I mean it. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that you were made to be a rescuer and make this world a better place? Try being a hero, instead of a killer. You were made to be a hero!” He… Continue reading Finding Our Feelers in a “Me” World and Teaching Our Children to Care
The frustration was building on her face. She would not look my way. Perhaps it was to stay focused; most likely it was to keep from letting the tears escape. My heart hurt as I watched this girl of mine struggling to keep her composure. Golf is a long game. It is one thing to… Continue reading Helping Our Kids (and Ourselves) Navigate the Green When Life Just Doesn’t Care
It may surprise you to know that this mother and pastor’s wife struggles with intolerance towards “dumb” people. I’m not referring to intellect when I use the term “dumb”…but FOOLISH people who choose over and over to do dumb things. So when I was recently asked to teach our girls how to identify a “fool”, I jumped… Continue reading Mom’s Top 10 Ways to Spot A Fool
I seem to have knack for weird parenting encounters. Last week I listened to a mother drone on and on about why her son was a problem. This kid is a typical pre-adolescent boy; creative…lazy…and as his mother explained, a trouble-maker. He would fall into the “not EVER fun to be with” camp. Now Mom… Continue reading Brat Talk: Great Expectations and Eliminating all of Mama’s Excuses
CONSISTENCY. Is there any other word that strikes fear into the hearts of people more than this word? This word follows us into every area of life: diet, exercise, devotions, and yes, parenting. Last week at church, I was enjoying conversation with another mom. You know how rare that can be when kids are around! … Continue reading Brat Talk: Consistency, Consistency, Consistency…Any Questions?
It was one of those Sundays where I wish the earth could have swallowed him up. What a great lesson in obedience for all those church kids! But here I was facing the moment of truth. Who was in charge? This kid was new to our church…obviously. Sitting in one spot and listening were not… Continue reading “Drag Me!” Dealing With Power Struggles
