How to nurture gratitude in the hearts of our children

February 20, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Growing up as a missionary kid in France had its perks, and the local bakery (or boulangerie) was one of them. In the front counter space of our nearest boulangerie were pastries of all sorts—elegant creations low on sugar and high on butter. Bins lining the wall boasted candy you could purchase by the gram—my […]

One step you can take to change the world (Join me?)

February 17, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

I used to be able to watch the news. I could stomach the tragedies and injustices around the world with sorrow held out at arm’s length. But something happened on the day my first baby was born: my heart turned to glass. The nurse laid him against my chest, and his warm softness made me […]

Mission: Possible (The Call of Jesus on Your Life)

February 12, 2020.Reading time 5 minutes.

When we first took our cat to the vet, he told us to keep her nails clipped. Mowgli, our half-feral kitten who had come galloping out of a patchy swamp in the country woods, was affectionate but not cooperative. Call it her independent streak or chalk it up to her wild roots, but anytime we […]

How to leverage the power of stories

February 5, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

It was my turn to teach the sixth graders at youth group last Monday night. To prepare, I braced myself and read over the lesson on the love of God. When it came time to pull the four students aside, I found myself facing a squirrelly bunch. We opened our Bibles to the right passage. […]

How to live life to the full

January 29, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

My seven-year-old looked adorable in his basketball jersey. It hung down way past his waist, but he didn’t care. He was too excited for his first day of the basketball program through our YMCA: skills assessment day. He was one of the most enthusiastic participants on the gym floor, and we cheered him on from […]

Lessons in humility from a three year old

January 22, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

I’ll never forget the day when my three year old turned the tables on me. We were on our way to a birthday party, but had to stop for a quick errand first. After we left the store, I stowed some groceries in the back of our car, then buckled Henry into his carseat. Just […]

What to do when God says No

January 14, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

Around this time of year, we are inundated with tips and tricks from experts, gurus, and influencers about how to live better, do better, BE better. We are encouraged to look at our lives and our selves and determine what we want to change. We look in the mirror and all of our body issues […]