My fourth son is a sniffer. (He’s also a licker, but that’s irrelevant right now.) He likes to go around smelling things, sniffing them out like a puppy. He especially loves sniffing me. When we’re snuggled up close, since he craves tight hugs often, he’ll sniff my neck, face, and arms. His eyes are closed,…
What Rhymes With Reason ABOUT: Tragedy ignites a group of teens on a quest to find a legendary landmark hidden in the wilderness. Together, they navigate the adventure while confronting the darkness within themselves in an attempt to find hope. The WORLD’S favorite coming-of-age, faith-adjacent, adventure/drama is NOW available on all major digital platforms to…
This was originally written as a guest post on my friend Holly’s site. It’s been over 5 years now, and her site no longer exists. I’m sure you all know that song from childhood, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above…
A friend was lamenting over the lack of Mother-Son songs for the Mother and Son dance at her son’s wedding. Having four sons, and hoping to someday have daughters-in-law, I set out on a hunt! I decided to be very selective and only use highly appropriate choices. If you know of a song you feel…
My friend was looking at a particular site for Wildcrafting, and I think the site’s ideals are not in line with mine, so I wanted to find some others. I searched for a while and found a few good ones. 🙂 So let me save you the Googling! WILDCRAFTING FOR KIDS: Wildcrafting With Kids +…
20 Years, Huh?! I find it so hard to believe that I’ve been married 20 years today, and we had our first date 21 years ago today! Marriage is a funny thing, isn’t it? Sometimes, I feel like we’re still newlyweds. Other times, I feel like a wrinkled old couple, still in love and teasing…
I don’t often hear people say this about my boys, but I can tell they’re thinking it. The disapproving looks. The not-so-subtle eye rolls. The exasperation and frustration. They wonder how we could possibly let them get away with that. After all, all they need is a good whipping. You know, when they were younger,…
Busy Being…Busy I don’t begin to know what your days are like. You could spend three hours with the Lord each day, in praise, worship, prayer, and Bible study. If so, you’re my hero! As for me, I always have the best of intentions, but much of the time, devotions go to the wayside. My…
(Note: This post was originally a guest post in 2015, which can still be seen here.) There are so many days that homeschooling is just another chore to do. For the kids…And for Mama. “Get it done, guys!” “Keep it moving!” “Don’t get distracted!” “Mama has two ears and four voices are talking. One at a time, please.”…
Note: This post was originally published here: http://thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.com/2015/09/teaching-children-to-obey.html [biblegateway passage=” [biblegateway passage=”Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother” display=”Ephesians 6:1″];”] I don’t know about your children, but my son hadn’t yet received the memo on that verse. Now that he’s almost six, he’s a bit tamer…
(Note: This post was originally a guest post, which can still be seen here.) “Mama, this is great. Just you and me. Nobody else. I like it.” My newly turned six-year-old looked at me over his ketchup-covered plate. He was wearing his Steak-n-Shake hat and a tiny, cute mustache sticker, and sporting a bit of…
Our school name used to be what we always pray to be–Happy Hearts Homeschool. We have dealt with severe attitudes over the years, but they get better every day. 🙂 Once the boys got a little older, they “outgrew” the name. Now we’re using H.O.G.W.A.R.T.S Homeschool. At first, we came up with Heritage of Grace…
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): The following is a review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. As a mom to…
Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): The following is a review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. My son saw me…
It was my Birthday and my husband took the day off. It’s always a treat to have fun days planned with him. He bought me this gorgeous sweater that fit just right! It was a big deal! I was having morning after morning breakdowns in my head because my clothes didn’t look right on me. Everything was…
Several years ago, my neighbor was having a difficult time in her marriage. Her husband was leaving her and she could not stop crying. I remember finding her scrunched up in the corner of her sofa. My heart broke for her. I sat with her and I cried alongside her. I tried to…
Marriage is wonderful. Marriage is also hard. When getting married, we all bring some things from our pasts into the marriage. But what if some of those “things” are remnants and products of a previous marriage? I’m a second wife to a second husband. I never thought I’d marry twice. When I married the first…
My imperfections were glaring when I met my husband. At 19, I had already been divorced from an abusive man and endured indescribable difficulties. My young son had just turned one year old, and I assumed no one would ever truly love me. There was too much in my life that made me unworthy of love….
The expectations we carry into marriage influence us in many ways. If those ideas and assumptions are met, the relationship is happy and peaceful. If expectations are not met, disappointment with the other spouse and disillusionment in the marriage sets in. Early in our marriage, I wondered why my husband wasn’t doing things I thought…
The beginning of my relationship with my husband was built on a shaky foundation. The relationships that were to serve as healthy models during our childhood had instead given light to what we didn’t want. Barely adults, we stood upon a threshold littered with tiny shards of hope. Taking a leap of faith, at the…
There we were, young college students living far from our families, clueless about this institution we’d just signed onto called marriage. After the honeymoon, it didn’t take long for us to realize we were polar opposites. I was from the North; he was from the South. I liked to talk; he liked it quiet. I…
Unfortunately, it’s possible to sabotage your marriage while living as an otherwise happily married Christian woman. I know this from experience. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I was guilty of relying on my husband for the comfort and peace that can only come from Jesus Christ. That’s an impossible expectation and when my…
That whole thing about the apple and the tree? Yeah, it’s kinda true. This isn’t breaking news, mind you. It’s just that four times in the last week, I’ve had conversations with different people about Luke’s various idiosyncrasies. These discussions inevitably resulted in some form of, “Where does he get that?” At which…
The day my nine-month-old fell off the bed, a friend was over. We were chatting in the hallway, sorting clothes to donate. I’d set him down on his back, sure he was in a good spot. I briefly hesitated, but knew it would only be a minute or two, and satisfied myself with…
