Once again, it's time for "What I Learned", a link-up with Emily @ Chatting at the Sky, where we look back on the past month and share the little treasures we gathered along the way. Sometimes silly, always fun. If you want to join in, link up here.
Read MoreWhere does faith come from? As a kid who grew up in church, faith in God has long been a part of my life. Christianity was the faith of my parents, and as a young child, I would have said it was mine, too. But mostly, I was going through the motions- no personal relationship with Jesus.
Read MoreI first became a Christian when I was five years old. I’ve prayed to God since then (and probably before, though any prior memories are foggy). I never prayed out loud though, not in front of people, not until a couple of years ago. Though I knew God heard and answered my silent prayers, and I often prayed along in my heart to the spoken prayers of others, I was self-conscious of what other people would think, and afraid I was “doing it wrong.” By the grace of God, that has changed. Through my participation in a small weekly meet-up of Christian women in my home, and our practice of praying for each other, out loud, I have learned to let go of any most self-consciousness- and I’ve learned that I’m not alone in these feelings about prayer.
Read MoreHow often, when I feel offended or hurt, would I be more at peace, if I were simply more humble? That is the question that has been rolling around my head lately. When I put away the thoughts of myself, about how I think I deserve to be treated, what do I have left to be offended about? Not much.
There’s no avoiding this simple fact: to be like Jesus is to practice humility.
How do I put away thoughts of myself when I don’t like the way I’m treated? I like how C.S. Lewis said it, in Mere Christianity,
Read MoreI’ve been reading Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book, Good News for the Weary Women. It’s about escaping the bondage of perfectionism and the striving to please. She explains that as Christians, we don’t have to earn God’s favor because we already have it, through Jesus. I wasn’t feeling like the book was especially relevant to me, because I felt that I do understand a few things about God’s grace and forgiveness. I write about those things here on the blog, often. I know he loves us, no matter what. And yet, I identified with the “weary woman” part- the rules, the lists, etc. I figured my motivation was different, though, and that since I wasn’t doing those things to measure my worth with God, this book wasn’t for me. Then I read these words,
Read MoreAt times, my husband and I have been intentional about making time for dates- and it’s always worth the effort. With two kids and busy schedules, we have to be flexible with what the term, date, actually means. For us, it simply means a time set apart to connect, just the two of us. For instance, this Saturday, our son had to be dropped off for his football game an hour and a half before it started, and since we were in an unfamiliar cute town, we took the opportunity to sneak off, get coffee and explore- nothing fancy, but it was nice to have that time together.
When our kids were younger, the need for a babysitter was what kept us from dating more often. Eventually, we figured out that many of our friends with young kids were in the same boat- so we started trading babysitting services with each other. That was a big win for everyone.
Now that both our kids are tween/teen age, the issue is no longer babysitting. It’s finding enough time to get away when one or the other doesn’t need a ride to or from some activity. Car-pooling has saved the day here.
The point is, I believe that dating your spouse is important and should be a high priority, no matter the effort involved in making it happen. My husband and I have room for improvement here. Lately, we’ve been having a hard time thinking of fun ideas for dates. So I made a list. I’m sharing it here, in hopes that it can inspire you as well.
Read MoreAs a mom of older kids, I often feel like my job is most accurately defined as taxi driver. We spend a lot of time in the car. When I start to complain about it, I remind myself that some of the best conversations happen in the car. I want to know what my kids are thinking and how they’re doing. I want to know what’s on their hearts. They’re so independent now, but at least they still depend on me for rides (most of the time). I try to remember to appreciate this part of our life, knowing that it won’t always be this way.
With tweens and teens, anything beyond surface conversations will only happen on their own terms. If I want to know the good stuff, I have to be available to listen when they feel like talking. And with my kids, that’s usually in the car. One such conversation happened earlier this week.
Read MoreWhat does it even mean for the kingdom of heaven to draw near? Growing up in Christian circles, I’ve heard that phrase often, but I never paused to consider what it might mean, until recently.
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