In our family Bible reading recently, one of the kids interrupted to ask, “What is an idol?” Jason explained that an idol can be anything that we love more than we love God. That seemed to satisfy the question, and we went on. Then yesterday over lunch one of the girls surprised me by saying… [continue reading]
Bad Parenting
Here is an example of bad parenting–my example! I have not felt great for a really long time it seems. It’s just been one thing and another. Being pregnant, then the ups and downs of thinking we were losing the baby, and then the miscarriage. Through all these things I knew that I needed to… [continue reading]
Our Easter
Most of our meaningful conversations seem to happen over meals. Over lunch one of the girls was telling me all about how she is going to celebrate Easter with her family when she grows up. It all sounded very exciting full of egg hunts, scavenger hunts, and fun activities. I listened quietly to her whole… [continue reading]
Destructive Behavior
This is the fourth post in a series written by Frieda, my mother. These are her memories of her first rambunctious child and their adventures on the mission field. Click this link to start at the beginning. Looking back, I realize that many of our friends were not especially happy to have us visit them…. [continue reading]
Annoying things people say
Annoying, thoughtless, irritating, amusing…it probably depends on my mood how I take the things people say, but the truth is no matter where I go with my five children in tow I get these comments, and if you have multiple children you probably get them too. 1. “You’ve got your hands full!” I keep saying… [continue reading]
God’s Gift
Sunday was crazy. My five-year-old daughter Grace was singing in both services with the children’s choir so we had to be there at 8:15. I understand the need to be there early, but boy is it tough to get this family ready and out by that time. It was rush, rush, rush. One child yelling… [continue reading]
Family Worship Time
Through the admonition of the teachers in our church and other speakers my husband has listened to, he began the tradition of a family worship time each evening before bed time. I always thought it was a great idea, but sometimes have had mixed feelings about some of the whining and negative attitudes from the… [continue reading]
God’s Little Creatures
In a recent parenting class, our family pastor was talking about informally training and teaching our children. He made the point that everything in life is an opportunity to teach, and we shouldn’t just rely on church services or devotion times at home. Now I completely agree with this; however, his first example had to… [continue reading]
An IHop Date with Joy
IHop is a great place to go for an inexpensive meal date with one of your children. Kids eat free after five (call to make sure it’s the same at your local restaurant) with the purchase of an adult entree. Joy was so excited to pick her own meal from the children’s menu. To be… [continue reading]
Children and Bad Language
At the supper table the kids were telling us about the movies that Aunt Miriam let them watch while Jason and I were gone. They liked one series in particular, and one of my daughters told me, “It didn’t have any bad words or anything.” Curious as to what they considered “bad words,” I asked,… [continue reading]