Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. John 6:56

A year ago, when my then twelve-year-old son, Zack, asked me, right before Communion, if he could drink the consecrated wine, I was caught like a deer in head lights. There’s a strong line of alcoholism that runs through my husband’s family tree, and mine. That heredity thing scares me. I was hoping I could postpone any alcohol passing my kids’ lips for a very, very long time. But here I was with just a split-second to make my decision.

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The Lord’s Word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 18:30

My son, Mason, was in the Middle School production of Madagascar, Junior this past weekend. During the months of rehearsals leading up to it, he kept complaining that there was too much singing and dancing, and not enough acting. Consequently, he and his friend had decided they wouldn’t be doing drama next year.

Production week and Mason getting “The Book” changed everything. Continue reading →

“Watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

Jocelyn had to turn a two-liter soda bottle, and herself, into a famous person for a project at school. She chose Queen Elizabeth II. She also had to research the Queen and share what she learned with the class.

After spending so much time focusing on Queen Elizabeth, Jocelyn began to think of her as a friend. In fact, she now wants to write a letter and send it to her, along with a craft she made.

Initially, I was trying to discourage Jocelyn. There’s really no chance the Queen will ever write back. But then I had a different thought altogether. Continue reading →

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Photo courtesy of Pixabay

As moms, our lives tend to revolve completely around our children. We know motherhood is an incredibly noble vocation. But when we have a moment to catch our breath, some of us wonder if we may be called to do more.

We look at other women who are doing amazing things, beyond raising their kids. They seem to have such focus and purpose. We’re baffled by how they knew their other calling so clearly, and so early in life. We want to be happy for them, and we are; but we’re also jealous, and sometimes resentful. We wish God would just come down from Heaven and spell out for us what we were created to do. Continue reading →

When the Lord saw how great the wickedness of human beings was on earth, and how every desire that their heart conceived was always nothing but evil, the Lord regretted making human beings on the earth, and his heart was grieved.      Genesis 6:5-6

Mason suffered a deep disappointment last week, so deep he went to a dark and angry place because of it. We all just backed off and gave him his space to work through it.

After he did, he pulled up a chair at the middle island and said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I get so upset.”

“I do,” I said, and pulled out a piece of paper and a marker to explain. Continue reading →

Where these waters flow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes. Ezekiel 47:9

When Jocelyn was little, she was incredibly easy-going. Yet, every now and then, there’d be these meltdowns that came out of nowhere. When I say “meltdowns,” I mean she would sob and sob, inconsolably. Nothing I did helped. I finally would have no choice but to put her to bed, even if it were two o’clock in the afternoon.

Lo and behold, she’d wake up happy. That’s how I finally linked her meltdowns to invisible exhaustion (because really, there were no outwards warning signs at all).

She’s been having more meltdowns lately, even at seven years of age. However, I discovered a whole different invisible reason in this phase of her childhood. Continue reading →

Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?   John 7:51

My son, Mason, started middle school in September. As you would expect, he started copping an attitude at the same time. It’s gotten to the point where looking at him sideways puts him in a mood. He also can’t seem to focus on a task and follow it through from beginning to end.

After picking him up from an overnight at a friend’s, I asked him to unpack his bag and put everything away before he moved on to the next thing. Two seconds into the task, he was doing nothing but standing still and sulking. I assumed he was mad because I was forcing him to unpack. I lost my patience. Continue reading →

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good… Proverbs 16:20

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Although we have to cover Jocelyn’s eyes for the murder that happens at the beginning of every episode, my kids and I are addicted to the TV show Monk. In it, the freelance detective, Adrian Monk, is trying to earn his way back onto the police force. He lost his position when he had a nervous breakdown after his wife’s death.

Despite it sounding morbid and dark, it’s actually an upbeat and fun show. Monk is incredibly endearing with his OCD and 1,001 other quirks. He solves every case; and creates as happy an ending as you can get on a crime show. However, Adrian himself is never happy. Continue reading →

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. Luke 11:34

On Friday, I took my kids to see the light that was installed at the Prayer Path on the grounds of our church. It was one of those deep, dark nights with no moon shining through the clouds. It made the light that’s focused solely on the cross even brighter.

Despite it being in the middle of the woods, the illuminated cross seemed to cast a miraculous glow. Jocelyn, who’s only seven, and afraid of the dark, said, “It’s so beautiful! I’d even sleep there all night, at the foot of that cross, because it feels like God’s really there.”

Her words kept echoing in my head, drawing me to see the deeper meaning. Continue reading →

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A while back, I struggled with a recurring issue. I’d spent a lot of time and energy helping a family I know. Although I didn’t need the kindness reciprocated, the very human side of me wanted to be appreciated.

Not only was that not the case, but things crossed over to where I routinely felt taken advantage of. After months and months of feeling this way, I decided I was all done. I severed all ties. Then something happened this week. Continue reading →