Your mind may be a battle ground but you’re a conqueror. Here are ten steps to having a sound mind when you feel like your losing yours.
H is for Habits
Habits….actions we routinely do. Some are good; some not so good. Here’s the good news: you can help your kids develop life long GOOD HABITS. However, give in to their every, “Mom, I don’t want to….” and they’ll have you to thank for their poor work ethic, negativity, laziness, sarcasm, lack of self control, you name it. SO HOW DOES IT WORK? Train a child to make their bed right when they get out of it, and that will be their default – their normal. Let them get in the habit of not making it and well, there you have …
6 Tips for Setting Boundaries with Your Kids
“You don’t trust me!” At some point nearly every parent of a teenager will hear this accusation. And if you, parent, are like me your first reaction is probably a mixture of: “You are right! I don’t trust you!” “I don’t even trust myself.” “I trust you, I just don’t trust other people…” Setting boundaries as your child is rapidly approaching “adulthood” is difficult, but necessary. And while it is often “easier” to just “lay down the law” it doesn’t encourage a vibrant relationship with your pre-teen or teen. How should we set boundaries? Explain why the boundary is being …
Internet Safety Every Parent Should Own
One of my friends choked back tears as she poured out her broken heart. Her son, who she thought could not access pornography on the home computer, had done just that. Her tears came from knowing how hard she tried to manage the internet and her children’s safety, and yet the ugly pictures defeated her goals once again. My Friend Isn’t Alone Over the past ten years, I have also faced the challenge of our own internet safety in hopes of protecting my young men from the powerful tide of porn. Over the years I have tried just about …
For Those Out-Side-the-Box Thinkers Who Want to Change the World
Psssst! You! The one whose every heartbeat rushes world-changing blood through your veins. The one who doesn’t just think outside the box but doesn’t even believe there is one! You and I are a lot alike and I LOVE swirling ideas, plans, and projects around with you for the intentional and strategic purpose of reaching people for Christ. I love outside-the-box thinkers! Especially when it comes to evangelism! At The MOM Initiative, we don’t have a box either. Today, I want to share 14 ways you can think outside your own box and connect with The MOM Initiative to reach …
Simply Messing
This is Enchanted Rock… The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States. When Chris and I were in college at Texas A&M, we liked to travel and camp. This was one of our favorite spots. We’d grab our tent and gear and go. I have a wonderful memory here of “simply messing.” I’ll describe what simply messing is below. But here’s the memory: Chris has gone …
When Your Daughter Thinks You’ve Moved to Mars
At one time we lived on planet earth, according to my eleven-year-old daughter, Ainsleigh. Then I got married in June of 2014, and she said that we had moved to Mars. On earth, Ainsleigh could mostly eat what she wanted, stay up as late as she wanted and pretty much do what she wanted…all of the time. For the first ten years of Ainsleigh’s life, I was a single mother who worked full time as a high school English teacher. And what they say about teachers is true. We are way under paid and always over-worked. So, Ainsleigh got to …
Four Tips to Teach Kids Good Stewardship
My kids own enough toys to fill a Costco aisle. Their clothes closet…jam packed. Take a quick look around our house and you might think we’re one of those excessive American families with no sense of money’s value. But come a little closer. You’ll discover most of the clothes my children own were handed down from their cousins—or bought on super clearance because Momma loves a bargain. And those toys? Gifts, mostly, or else acquired through our semi-annual Christmas and birthday splurge. We appreciate our material things. But we know they’re not everything. I want to teach my kids to …
Do You Know God’s Purpose for You as a Grandparent? by Lillian Penner
Just as David was chosen for his generation God has positioned us, as grandparents for our generation with our personality and gifts for our families. We read in Acts 16:36 “ David served God’s purpose in his generation.” According to Deuteronomy 4:9, God’s purpose for us, as grandparents is to teach God’s commands to our children and our children’s children. If Timothy’s grandmother Lois had not been faithful in passing on her faith to her daughter Eunice and grandson Timothy, we would not have the books, I and II Timothy in the Bible today. This is a good generational example …
Through Deep Waters and Shallows
Fair warning, dear moms: Any story that begins, “So the guy at the bait shop said…” is going to be a doozy. Here goes… So the guy at the bait shop said that if we started out kayaking at the mouth of the river, it would be only 4 miles to the next docking station/place where my husband and two other children could go fishing and meet us. My cell phone was dead, but no biggie. It’s only 4 miles. What could go wrong? My teenage daughter and I set off on our merry way, drinking in the sights and …