You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The Mother/Daughter “Mutual Admiration Society” continues this week! One of the gifts my daughter received at the Mother/Daughter Tea was a little diary. Every day she asks me if I will write something in it “about... more

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3)

In an interesting display of “harmonic convergence”, cable television played both versions of The Parent Trap on two different channels during the same time slot. As I flipped back and forth between them, I noticed both versions had the scene wherein one of the twins meets the grandfather for the first time and begins sniffing him. The grandfather asks what she's doing and the twin replies, “I'm making a memory. Years from now when I'm a grown up, I want to remember that... more

My daughter reminds me of me in so many ways. She's had some behavioral and emotional issues; my ADD was undiagnosed until adulthood. She has very large, expressive eyes – in fact, in pictures, it's the first thing you notice about her. Every picture of me that my mom has shows that same wide-eyed expression on my face.

I remember as a child sitting at my aunt's feet as she did my hair. I have very textured, ethnic hair, and a very tender scalp. My daughter sits at my feet, now, and also has a tender head. We use hair time as bonding time, and talk about various... more

Romans 8:22-24

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?(NIV)

As I read this verse, it reminded me of our recent adoption of our 10-year-old foster... more

Chances are that churches all over the country, including yours, had the same topic today, Mother’s Day. Prior to a sermon about Mothers, the senior pastor called all of the children to the front of the church to have a talk with them. It was sort of an informal Bible lesson, where he explained to the children why they needed to obey their parents. He told the children that while they made many decisions everyday, some were not the right choices. He elaborated that while they were acquiring more knowledge everyday, they still lacked the experience required to make some... more

We’re adding onto the previous bedtime rituals we have: family prayer time; family cheer; group hug; spraying the pillows with lavender pillow spray; and playing a soothing lullabye on the lap-harp.

In the congregation where hubby and I attend, there have been nine babies born over the last few months. Therefore, the congregation has a Biblical Parenting class to help new parents (and “old” parents) alike. So, as... more

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11)

It’s easy to get “caught up” as a parent, in disciplining your child, particularly if they have a myriad of behavioral, emotional and social issues. We want our children to “be okay” when they grow up, so we stress certain behavior to them.

But one underutilized tool is the “word fitly spoken.” I see the effects my words have on the faces of all of my children. They can be crestfallen, or light up like the sky on the fourth of July!

Of... more

A little over a year ago, the little girl who would later become my daughter, got sent home with a note for her foster mother. The note stated that she had been taking things from class. Sadly, this wasn’t the first incident, either. She had taken money from some of the other kids.

Fast forward a few months later - after the adoption and her transition to her new home - stealing is still an issue. Albeit abated somewhat, but nonetheless, our daughter has been taking things without permission.

It’s a complex issue for us, as her parents, to deal with, because... more

Over the weekend, as part of my (mumble)-eth birthday, I got a lap harp (think mini hammered dulcimer - sort of!). I also got lots of “fou-fous” (pampering stuff that smells nice). One of which included some lavender “pillow mist” (something you spray on your pillow as part of aromatherapy, that helps to calm the senses, depending upon the scent).

Quite unexpectedly, these gifts have turned into gifts for the whole family. As I’ve mentioned before, my son has had difficulty... more

Did you grow up hearing the Golden Rule? The verse that is frequently referred to as the Golden Rule is found in Luke chapter 6, verse 31 and it says, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (NIV) I think that most children, even those who are not part of a church family have heard this rule. One of the purposes of learning Bible verses is so they can come into your mind when you need them. Believe me, after helping many children memorize verses to recite on AWANA club nights, I have learned many. Obviously, the children recognize these verses when I recite them as well.... more