“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name.” Psalm 142:7 Have you ever had a day where everything just went wrong? And you along with it? Some mornings we all seem to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. My four-year-old tantrums about every little thing. My oldest tries [...]
May 4, 2012
Hope Redeemed
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O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7 We hope for many things. On game days, we hope it won’t rain. When we are making plans with friends, we hope they can join us. Even at Christmas time, we hope [...]
May 1, 2012
Strong Marriages
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Do you remember your marriage before having children? Is it just me, or is it hard to balance raising children and keeping a marriage strong? When my children were little, I found it especially hard to focus on my marriage. All my energy was focused on taking care of children 24/7. Children are needy and [...]
Apr 27, 2012
Blessed By Brokenness
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Have you ever met someone who has struggled with the same battle as you? Have you ever helped someone through a difficult journey that you yourself once walked? I have a friend in the faith who has experienced deep brokenness in her life. Her faith during these painful times has been a testimony to me. [...]
Apr 20, 2012
Strength Through Brokenness
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Believers will experience brokenness. It comes with the call of following Christ. Being broken is painful. It hurts. It’s wearisome. And with it often comes despair, fear, anger, and sorrow. I don’t like pain. When I am hurting, I try to find a way to fix my problem right away. When I’m suffering in a [...]
Apr 14, 2012
Brokenness: The Door to Joy
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Spring is here. Flowers are blooming everywhere I look. The trees that last month were dead and bare, now sprout brightly verdant leaves. The air is warm and windows are open wide to let in the fresh spring air. All this new life is a reflection of the resurrection we just celebrated. Spring reminds us [...]
Apr 6, 2012
To Be Broken
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Something is always breaking at my house: dvd players, remote control cars, flashlights, washing machines, etc. My son, before the age of two, had quickly learned that batteries make things work. Whenever anything broke, whether it took batteries or not, he brought it to me and asked for batteries. But what do we do when [...]
Apr 3, 2012
Marriage and Finances
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It’s that time of year again, tax time. For those who may be getting a refund, how will you spend it? Do you and your spouse plan together how to spend your money? Though there are exceptions, in many marriages, there seems to be one spouse who is the spender, and one who is the [...]
Mar 29, 2012
Deeply Rooted
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“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and [...]
Mar 22, 2012
Deeper Into Sacrifice
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This season leading up to Easter is a season of sacrifice. Many give up something they enjoy in order that they might focus more intently on Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross. It is a time of preparation, contemplation, and repentance. As I walk further into these forty days, I am overwhelmed by the love and [...]
Mar 15, 2012
Deep Into Community
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I was sitting around the semicircle of chairs. It was Tuesday morning, the day when our ladies bible study meets at my church. We were going around the room, taking turns sharing prayer requests. I wrote down each person’s request: health concerns, legal issues, rest, healthy pregnancy, etc. Then it was my turn. Feeling the [...]
Mar 8, 2012
Deeper in the Heart
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Do you ever get into a cleaning frenzy when guests are coming over? Many of us probably do a more thorough cleaning job when we are expecting visitors than we do on a typical day. I tend to clean only those areas of my house where I know my guests will be, such as the [...]
Mar 6, 2012
On Marriage and Quality Time
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We were all seated in my living room, the four of us. Every week we meet and share our lives with each other. The kids run around mad while we pray, discuss the book we’re reading, and hold one another accountable in the faith. One of the girls casually mentioned her desire to have meaningful [...]
Mar 1, 2012
Deep Into Prayer
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“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and [...]
Feb 23, 2012
When Love is Hard
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Let’s be honest, love is hard. It’s been a week. The flowers are wilting and the candy is nearly gone. The sweet messages in the Valentine cards are mostly forgotten. All that’s not forged through hard love is short-lived. For most of us, the fragrant aroma of love’s soft side is brief and doesn’t last. [...]
Feb 21, 2012
For Cabin Fever Days
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Do you ever hear the phrase, “Mom, I’m bored” around your house? This time of year can bring cabin fever to many a child (and grown-up too, for that matter). The days are short and in most places, too cold to be outside. And, if your kids are at all like mine, they are now [...]
Feb 16, 2012
Patience and Love
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“Patience is love for the long haul.” Tim Keller Glancing at my watch, I call their names again. “It’s time to go!” I had told them ten minutes ago to get dressed. I walk in their room and find them half-dressed and playing. My patience is worn thin and I’m irritated. Sadly, it doesn’t take [...]
Feb 14, 2012
Marriage at His Side
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Have you ever participated in an activity with your husband, perhaps fishing, and returned thinking it was a waste of time? Did your husband remark that he had a great time? We all know men and women are different. Numerous books have been written on the subject. Jokes are made about women being from one [...]
Feb 9, 2012
A Love Like His
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February is the month of love, or at least that’s what the greeting card companies tell me. The ads I see seem to say that we must show our love by purchasing flowers, candy, jewelry, and of course, Valentine’s Day cards. “Be Mine” and “Yours Always” are one liners strewn across the Valentine aisle at [...]
Feb 2, 2012
Words of Love
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I remember well those shoe boxes turned mail holders. We decorated them with red and pink papers, making sure our name was clearly labeled on the outside. It was the popular kids who always seemed to get the most cards. I still remember noticing how few were given to the outcasts of the class. These [...]
Jan 26, 2012
New Creations
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Sometimes you need to take a hard fall to realize you’ve gone down the wrong path. Overwhelmed by life, I am tired and irritable. The littlest things with the kids set my teeth on edge. Tears well up and threaten to break through the dam I try so hard to keep standing. Yet it seems [...]
Jan 20, 2012
Mercy for a New Day
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I put the words from Lamentations on the top of my secretary where I pass by it each morning. The desk is the one I bought at an antique shop while traveling in Tennessee. My heart loves old things. I love to imagine who used it and the letters they may have penned to love [...]
Jan 17, 2012
Encouraging Creativity
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Do you have a child who loves to be crafty? Young children in general love doing arts and crafts. While its good to provide structured crafts with our kids, too many of the crafts we do with children prevent them from further exploring their creativity. In addition to the crafts you are already doing with [...]
Jan 12, 2012
The One Goal Worth Setting
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Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? Have you looked back over the past year and found areas in your life you want to change? Perhaps it is to get organized. Or maybe you want to lose the weight gained over the holidays. Spiritually speaking, maybe you want to read through the Bible this year. [...]
Jan 5, 2012
New Beginnings
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Ornaments are packed and stored away for next year. The Christmas cd’s are placed back in their cases. Those cute hand towels dotted with snowmen are folded and placed in the back of the linen closet. Christmas is past and a new year has begun. I love new things. I always loved getting a new [...]
Jan 3, 2012
To Nag or Not to Nag?
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When you first got married, were there qualities about your husband you assumed or hoped would go away? What happened when they didn’t? If you are anything like many wives, you may have begun “nagging” him about the problem. Though we tend to call it “reminding” rather than nagging. Am I right? The dictionary defines [...]
Dec 29, 2011
On Wounds and Humility
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Have you ever been emotionally wounded by someone you know? Perhaps someone close to you–a friend or family member? The pain of hurtful words seem to hurt more when done by a friend than a foe. I’ve experienced these wounds a few times over the past couple of years. The unkind words spoken cut deep [...]
Dec 22, 2011
Humility and the Love of the Gospel
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Humility is a difficult topic to write about. Once you think you know something about it, then you begin to lack it. The only way I can begin to understand the concept of humility is in light of the gospel of grace– for there it plays a very significant role. Humility is the exact opposite [...]
Dec 20, 2011
Christmas Crafts
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The holidays are upon us! Time for shopping, baking, wrapping and CRAFTS! In the midst of your business this season, take some time to enjoy doing a craft or two with your children. Snowglobe: All kids love snow globes. Shaking it and watching the glittery snow tumble-down is an endless enjoyment. Why not make your [...]
Dec 15, 2011
Freedom in Humility
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Humility is a frequent topic discussed around our house. My oldest is quite bright and that brightness combined with being the elder sibling, creates a combination widely known as a “know it all.” Not only does he boss around his younger brother, but he corrects adults as well. Humility is hard for all of us. [...]
Dec 8, 2011
On Humility and Christmas
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If you were of royal blood, a king perhaps, and you were sending your child to live somewhere else, what kind of home would you choose for him? Whom would you choose to take care of him while he was there? I would venture to guess that most of us would choose a grand estate [...]
Dec 6, 2011
Grace in Marriage
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Mail clutters my counters. There’s a laptop on the kitchen table where I need to set out dishes for dinner. Unfinished bottles of water remain where they were last used: the living room floor, the nightstand, kitchen counter and bathroom counter. These are just a few things that irritate me. Are there things your spouse [...]
Nov 30, 2011
Easy Hospitality
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Well, we have come to the end of this month’s topic of hospitality. I wanted to finish up the series with practical ideas to make it easier to practice hospitality. For those whose gift is not hospitality, I hope you’ll find some ideas today that will help make it easier. For those who are gifted [...]
Nov 17, 2011
But What if I’m a Martha?
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This month we’ve been exploring Biblical hospitality. What is it? How do we practice it? What if it’s not my gift? And this week: What if I’m a Martha? “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had [...]
Nov 15, 2011
Thanksgiving Crafts
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Whenever I think about Thanksgiving, images of pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce and family gathered around the table come to mind. I can almost taste the sweet desserts and smell the turkey cooking (in our case, frying). There are many fun crafts for children to do this time of year. There are crafts [...]
Nov 10, 2011
Reluctant Hospitality
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“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9 This month we are focusing on Biblical hospitality. What is it? What does it look like? Last week’s post focused on the calling we all have as Christians to practice hospitality and how it differs from how the world may view it. Today, I want [...]
Nov 3, 2011
The Practice of Hospitality
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“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13 (NLT) What images come to mind when you hear the word ‘hospitality’? I often think of a dining table with a beautiful center piece and flickering candle light. I think of expertly prepared meals in a [...]
Nov 1, 2011
The Best Marriage Advice I Ever Received
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Months before my wedding, I visited with longtime family friends of my husband to be. Just a shy, insecure college girl, I was quiet during most of our visit. Most couple’s preparing for marriage are given advice from well-meaning friends and family. That night, as I quietly engaged in conversation with the wife, I received [...]
Oct 27, 2011
Time for Mom
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Do you ever feel like you’re pushed to the edge of a cliff? Just one more step and you’re sure to fall. Are you one proverbial straw short of the one that broke the camel’s back? I’ve often had days where I’m afraid that if just one more thing happens, I’m sure to fall apart. [...]
Oct 20, 2011
I’m Just Pretending
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I am a pretender. I recently purchases a few new clothing items to wear on an upcoming trip to Paris. When I wore the clothes in public, I received a lot of compliments. Yet, while wearing these clothes, I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I was merely pretending to be something I wasn’t. [...]
Oct 13, 2011
Thank Him For Who You Are
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I always wanted curly hair. I’ve done the perm thing and probably won’t ever do it again. I’ve also wished I were taller, athletic, more outgoing and oh, if only I had done better in math! It’s not only the outward things I’ve wished were different. Sometimes I’ve wished I didn’t always think everything to [...]
Oct 11, 2011
Fall Leaf Crafts
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October is my favorite month of the year. I love the variegated colors of the trees. Driving through the mountains, the sea of reds, oranges, yellows and browns are a spectacular site. Doing crafts involving leaves is a fun way to develop a love for Fall in your child. The main ingredient needed for all [...]
Oct 6, 2011
When You Need a New Perspective
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I love the way a camera freezes time. It can capture a moment that in real-time lasted merely a second. That moment becomes frozen for us to remember and enjoy forever. I also love how a camera can narrow in on an object such as a face, a flower, or a butterfly passing by. Often, [...]
Oct 4, 2011
Marriage In First Place
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When my oldest was about eight weeks old, a friend suggested my husband and I go out on a date and offered to babysit. I hadn’t left my son with anyone before so I was hesitant. What if he cried the whole time? What if he wouldn’t take a bottle? What if…? Both our friend [...]
Sep 29, 2011
It’s All About Grace
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I had asked several times with no response. Finally, I raise my voice. He jumps, begins to cry and runs to his room, closing the door behind him–closing his heart in protection from me. Some days it seems like we all roll out of the “wrong side of the bed.” We go through the day [...]
Sep 22, 2011
Our Sanctuary
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The term sanctuary is used to describe a holy or sacred place. In the Old Testament it was the temple, the dwelling place of God. A sanctuary is also used to describe as a place for people to flee to for safety. Today, our sanctuary is found in Christ. I think of my time alone [...]
Sep 20, 2011
Communication in Marriage
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Sometimes choosing not to respond is an act of grace. I had confronted him with an issue and he barely responded. I had thrown the accusing statement at him without any warning, tears streaming–the built up volcano’s lava of frustration and pain pouring forth. Giving me time to calm down, he returns later and with [...]
Sep 15, 2011
Teaching Jesus to our Children
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“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie [...]
Sep 13, 2011
Cardboard Crafts
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I always hear how kids love the boxes their new toys come in more than the toy itself. We’ve found cardboard boxes and pieces of cardboard that come with packages to have multiple uses. My kids have used cardboard tubes as pretend telescopes and trumpets. We’ve made garages for cars, a places for treasures and [...]
Sep 8, 2011
Prayer for our Children
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“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 What does it mean to pray without ceasing? I like to think of it as always keeping my heart in tune with God; keeping the channels of communication open. I like to pray for something the moment it comes to mind. I pray for friends and family as soon [...]
Sep 6, 2011
On Marriage and the Future Wedding Feast
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She was just a shy, young college girl trying to find her way in life. Far from home, she hoped the demons of her past had not followed her. Broken and unsure of herself, she was slowly learning and trying to heal. He came seemingly out of nowhere; unexpected. He knew she was the one, [...]
Sep 1, 2011
When You Feel Inadequate
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Do you ever feel inadequate? It’s that feeling of emotional paralysis where you just don’t know what to do. Like a deer caught in the head lights of a car; you don’t know if you should run or stay and fight. I have never felt the most inadequate as I have since becoming a parent. [...]
Aug 25, 2011
When Joy Seems Just Out Of Reach
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As Christians, we know we are called to be joyful. I know many joy-filled Christians. More often than not, I’m not one of them. For me, it often feels like joy is just out of my reach. Paul teaches that we are to rejoice in the Lord always. How do you have joy when it [...]
Aug 18, 2011
Cleaning closets and cleaning hearts
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I love organizing. I’m known for regularly going through closets, organizing and getting rid of things. My favorite renovation to our house is my closet. It was designed just for me and all my things. In recent months, I’ve been reading books that have challenged me to clean out my heart’s closet. There are places [...]
Aug 12, 2011
It’s Because He Loves Me
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A sign hangs on the door that says, “No one likes me.” He places it there whenever he gets into trouble and removes it when he has calmed down. Hiding the sign in a place only he knows about, only to be brought out again the next time. We’ve talked about a parent’s responsibility to [...]
Aug 5, 2011
A Sure Investment
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It had been a full day for him. A road trip with friends, full of activity and excitement. Upon our return home he asked to rest and watch his favorite television show. It was after dinner, as I was instructing him to get ready for cleaning up and then prepare for bed, when he realized [...]
Jul 29, 2011
When Your World is Spinning
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courtesy L. Tarplee Have you ever gotten on a ride and soon realized it wasn’t for you? Once the ride takes off, it’s too late to get off. Holding tightly to the bars in front of you, stomach clenched, eyes closed, you scream and hold on for dear life. My life often feels like a [...]
Jul 22, 2011
My Heart, Their Classroom
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“A mother’s heart is the child’s classroom.” Henry Ward Beecher I came across this quote on one of my favorite quote sites recently and it seemed to jump out of the screen and went straight to pierce my heart. How is a mother’s heart a child’s classroom? Our children spend so much time with us [...]
Jul 15, 2011
Adopted Forever
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Born into poverty and raised in a broken family, he left school after eighth grade to help support his family. Deserted by his alcoholic father, his family carried deep wounds that never seemed to heal. Joining the army, he fought in WWII. Arriving one day into the Normandy invasion, he lived to recount his stories [...]
Jul 8, 2011
My Dog-Eared Life
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“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” G.K. Chesterton For me, books are like snapshots in the scrapbook of my life. The books lined on my shelves play a part in my story. There’s an emotional connection to each one of them because they remind me of places I’ve been in [...]
Jul 1, 2011
The Secret to Contentment
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Running errands one morning, my three-year old asks, “Can I have a new Hotwheels car?” “You have about a hundred,” I answer. “I know. I need a new one though,” he says. Whether it’s a new toy, new house, new relationship, whatever it is we strive so hard to get, once the newness wears off, [...]
Jun 24, 2011
Meaning in the Midst of Suffering, Part 2
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We have all known the bitter taste of suffering. The wounds go deep and even years later can reopen with blood pouring out fresh. As Christians, we know suffering comes often comes along as part of walking the narrow road to life. Our Savior knew suffering and scripture warns us to expect it, take joy [...]
Jun 17, 2011
Meaning in the Midst of Suffering, Part 1
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Do you ever get weighed down by all the grief and suffering we experience in this fallen world? Do you ever wonder if all the pain we endure in this life really will turn out for our good? I’ve read Romans 8:28 more times than I can count. I’ve held on to that passage with [...]
Jun 10, 2011
Friendship and Accountability
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This is a follow-up to an article I wrote titled “Friendship and Transparency.” If you missed that article, click here. She looks at me and says, “You doing okay?” This heavily weighted question means more than the customary “How are you?” greeting. She wants to know how I’m really doing. How is my struggle with [...]
Jun 3, 2011
The Light and the Word
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I stand in the kitchen making my morning coffee. Pushing the lid down on my coffee press; trying to get my mind to awaken for the day. The sun has just risen and is shining directly into the kitchen. Rays of light bounce off the pool in the back, come through the glass doors and [...]
May 27, 2011
Quieting My Heart
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Do you ever get overwhelmed by life? Do all the details of raising children, managing your home and other responsibilities seem to blur together to form one giant mass? That happens in my life. Each and every task becomes so much bigger and insurmountable. We live such hectic, hurried lives in our culture. We pack [...]
May 20, 2011
Blogging for Christ
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There are rules for blogging. I don’t mean prosecutable rules, though those probably exist. I am referring to the norms that have been established in the past few years for “how to blog well.” There are articles about blogging that tell you that it is important to keep posts short, to post often, what blog [...]
May 13, 2011
Friendship and Transparency
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Our culture’s definition of a friend has changed significantly since the onset of social networking sites. It doesn’t seem to have the same depth of meaning anymore. As Christians, what does it mean to be a friend to another brother or sister in Christ? Should our friendships look different from those of the world? For [...]
May 6, 2011
Benefits of journaling, part 2
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Journaling has been around forever but with our age of technology, it seems like a lost art. Much of what we know about the last five hundred years of history comes from personal journals. My article on journaling last Friday explored the use of journaling in the process of healing. There are many other uses for journals but [...]
Apr 29, 2011
The Benefits of Journaling, part 1
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I confess that I once was a psychotherapist who gave out advice and never used it for myself. Just what am I talking about? I frequently asked people I was counseling to start a journal, though I rarely was committed to doing one myself. That is, until I had kids. In fact, journaling has been [...]
Apr 22, 2011
For the Joy Set Before Him
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Why does it take so long to move forward in this mending of the tears in my soul, and yet take no time at all to fall and end up right back where I started? It’s like the game of Chutes N Ladders, so many spaces to go through to get to the end and win, [...]
Apr 15, 2011
Giving Our Time to God
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One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a mom (and I’m still learning) is how difficult it is to have any expectations for what I will get done each day. I often come to the end of my day and wonder “What did I do today?” and feel like I had nothing to show [...]
Apr 8, 2011
Living Out the Gospel in Our Parenting
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Have you ever studied the book of Jonah? This may be surprising but it’s more than a story about a fish! In fact, one of the highlight’s of the book is the gospel that shines through. In our church culture, it often seems that the gospel ends with salvation. Once a person becomes a Christ [...]
Apr 1, 2011
Anxious for Nothing, part 2
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“Anxiety is not only a pain which we must ask God to assuage but also a weakness we must ask Him to pardon; for He’s told us to take no care for the morrow.” C.S. Lewis Last week I wrote about the problem of anxiety with which many of us are plagued. I don’t think anyone [...]
Mar 25, 2011
Anxious for Nothing, part 1
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“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Phil. 4:6 Do you ever struggle with this verse? Does it really mean be anxious for NOTHING? Aren’t mom’s supposed to worry about their kids? Should I not have been worried when my four-year old [...]
Mar 18, 2011
The Anatomy of our Souls
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Most Christians experience dark times at some time in their life. C.S. Lewis experienced intense grief over the loss of his wife to cancer. Some well respected theological giants have suffered from severe depression (C.H. Spurgeon for one). How do we handle those times of despair in a biblical manner? It is helpful to see [...]
Mar 11, 2011
Following Him Through the Storms
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Please welcome our newest writer to the CSAHM blog! Scroll down to learn more about the author. I am a psychotherapist who struggles with depression. I know, ironic right? It’s like an overweight cardiologist or a pulmonologist who smokes. Do you ever look back on your life and realize that the tough patches in your life [...]
