When Fear Captures Your Heart ~ (Four Ways to Fight Fear)

Has fear ever captured your heart? It has mine many times in the past and even recently. In 1989, I received a call that would forever change the course of my life.  See, I had lived in fear through an abusive marriage and thought that after those days were over I would not live in fear any longer. Boy was I wrong. The call brought it all back. It returned in a more vicious way than before. No longer was it about me, but now it was concerning my children. The clutches reached out that day and captured my heart …

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Having A Happy Birthday Jesus Party: In Your House And In Your Community

I love December. There’s so much to celebrate as well as so much to do, but one of the most fun things we’ve done over the years is to have a Happy Birthday Jesus Party. What, you’ve never heard of that? That’s ok. It’s actually something we started doing in our Kids Ministry at church and over the years we have expanded it from what we do on Sunday mornings at church to the homes and neighborhoods of the families we serve. I would love to take a few minutes to tell you about having a Happy Birthday Jesus Party: …

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Surviving December With Small Kids

What do you get when you mix two young children, one tired mom, and a Christmas to-do list? Definitely not peace on Earth. “Don’t step there!” My hand jerked toward my toddler’s ankles, but too late. Her foot crunched a row of Christmas ornaments arranged meticulously on the rug, prepped for hanging. “I sorry, Momma!” Her sock hovered over a sparkly blue star, crushed into five pieces. “I told you to stay on the sofa! Sweetie, if you want to help Mommy decorate the tree, you need to be very careful around the ornaments. Now it’s broken.” Her bottom lip …

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The Struggle by Lynn Cowell

The Struggle Lynn Cowell “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV) “Why can’t we just get past this?” The agitation in my voice revealed the frustration in my heart. I just wanted to fix this relationship problem and move on to happy. My mind and heart were weary from the extended battle. I’m a fixer at heart, especially when it comes to my kids. When I see one …

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Discipline and Grace Finding the Balance

“They are so well behaved,” the perky saleswoman nodded at my three children. They are? I just told them to settle down three times. One nearly knocked over a shoe display and… “Thank you,” I smiled and attempted to cool my boiling blood. Where is the balance between first time obedience and grace? How do I decide what to discipline and what to talk about? As moms we are to, “Train a child up a child in the way he should go…” Proverbs 22:6 How do we train children without breaking their souls? How do we speak with kindness, but …

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Preparing Your Kids To Be Mission Minded

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NLT Missions trips will change your life. They will wreck you. You will never be able to look at poverty the same again. You will be compelled to do something about it. Your days of sitting by thinking there’s nothing that I can do to help will quickly be erased from your thought process…you will be determined to make a difference. One day. One child. One step at a time. That’s what has happened …

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I Should Not Do That

I Should (Not) Do That

I suffer from a common condition. It’s called “shoulditis”—otherwise known as I should do that disease. Symptoms flare up under the most ordinary circumstances. When my friend calls to say she’s taking a Zumba class, I think of how long it’s been since my Nikes hit the gym, and my own voice whispers in my head, I should do that. When I scroll through Facebook and see a dozen photos of cutesy craft projects other moms created with their children, I’m deflated. I should do that. When my parenting magazine plugs a recipe for brownies using hidden carrot puree, I …

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Frozen MOMents

This verse caused me to pause this morning: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 I began to ponder the moments that have frozen in my mind at some point or another. Often when I do this, I remember slip-ups, mine to others & others to me. Betrayals. Abuses and hurts. I recall missed opportunities–with my husband, my children, my sister, my friends, that one in the grocery store, the …

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Why You Should Get Involved In Your Kids Ministry

  When we, as parents, partner with our local churches we can make an even bigger impact in the spiritual lives of our kids. No, I’m not just saying that because I work in Kids Ministry but because I have stood on the front lines every Sunday for the last ten years watching families come in and out of the church and miss the connecting piece between church and home. Can I speak the truth in love for a minute? Families want us, as the church, to teach their kids about God, His love, His grace, His mercy and His …

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Laughter Heals Things

Her smile. I did it to see her smile and it worked. We laughed together and ran – inside the house. And the broken parts mended a bit. Sometimes life raising kids feels heavy. It is a huge responsibility. I am so serious about the principles I want them to learn and the tasks they need to accomplish that I can forget something important. Laughter and joy are just as important to teach as a good work ethic. Let me say that again. Kids need to learn the art of enjoying life, of laughing, of the joy of the Lord …

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